Handbook - Parent/Student - Ss. Peter & Paul School

August 22, 2012Dear Parents and Students:Welcome to the 2012-13 school year, our 160 th year of continuous operation. Each year is filled with greatpromise but never more so than this year due to our being named a Blue Ribbon finalist last spring. Justreaching this phase of the process is a tribute to our outstanding faculty and the partnership we enjoy withour school families.The Parent/Student Handbook has undergone its annual review and reflects input from our teachers, supportstaff, and parents. The information contained on the ensuing pages is designed to enhance the likelihood ofa productive and successful year for all of our students. Our faculty and staff believe it to contain all of thepertinent information about our policies and procedures that you and your children need to know and follow.Also, as this is a living and breathing document, the school reserves the right to amend this handbook duringthe course of the year. Notice of amendments will be communicated to parents via the Thursday E-Envelopeor my monthly newsletter.I encourage you to read this document from cover to cover, as parents and children are responsible for beingaware of its contents. References to all of the new or revised policies can be found in my August ParentNewsletter. Please note that by nature of the signed Parent Cooperation Contract and Student Contract, youindicate an acceptance of all school policies and procedures.If you have any questions on any of the content, please contact me or feel free to bring it up at Orientationwith the teachers. It is at that time that you will also receive a copy of this year’s school goals.Best wishes for a wonderful school year.Sincerely,Frank GlowatyPrincipal

TABLE OF CONTENTSACADEMIC INFORMATION ................................................ p. 26 Progress Reports ................. p. 27 Foreign Language ................ p. 29 Graduation Requirements ..... p. 30 Homework ........................... p. 31 Honor Roll ........................... p. 31-32 Project Discover ................... p. 34 Project Explore .................... p. 34 Student Recognition ............. p. 35 Standardized Testing ........... p. 38ADMISSIONS ................................................................... p. 15• Re-registration ..................... p. 24• Tuition ................................ p. 22-23• Fees .................................... pp. 23-24ATHLETICS ...................................................................... p. 69DISCIPLINE ..................................................................... p. 59• Bullying .............................. p. 59• Consequences ..................... p. 63• Threats of Violence .............. p. 63• Suspension / Expulsion ........ p. 63• Eligibility ............................. p. 65EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ....................................... p. 67LEADERSHIP BOARDS• School Board ....................... p. 10• Development Board ............. p. 13• Home & School Association .. p. 11• Athletic Association .............. p. 69RELIGION ........................................................................ p. 5SCHOOL DAY PROCEDURES .............................................. p. 41• Absence & Tardies ............... p. 41• Emergency Closing .............. p. 43• Extended Day ...................... p. 44• Security ............................... p. 46• Visitors ................................ p. 49STUDENT INFORMATION ................................................. P. 50• Busing ................................. p. 50-51• Hot Lunch ........................... p. 52• Parent Communication ......... p. 55• Uniform Code ...................... pp. 57-582

PHILOSOPHYWe, the faculty of Saints Peter & Paul School community who have been baptized into Christ Jesusbelieve that we must "teach as Jesus did."We believe that each child is a unique creation of God with varying degrees of potential in humanbehavior and academic areas.We believe that parents enroll their children at Saints Peter & Paul because we are a child-centeredschool that teaches values and morals based on the Catholic religion.We believe that our students must not only have a basic understanding of the Catholic faith, butmust also have the opportunities to put those beliefs into practice.We believe that the Church, Family, and State share the responsibility for the total education of thechild: spiritual, physical, mental, moral, individual and social.We believe that each child is to be prepared for basic life skills to enable them to achieve futurepersonal goals.We believe it is important for children to learn how to function in group situations and that they learnthe value of teamwork.We believe this school has the responsibility of creating and maintaining an environment that assistseach student in translating the knowledge he has acquired into purposeful Catholic witness and responsiblecitizenship.We also believe that the students, parents, and faculty are partners in learning. We will do our bestto ensure that parents are fully aware of student progress academically and socially to allow them theopportunity to fulfill their role as primary educators.MISSION STATEMENTSaints Peter & Paul Catholic School is a parish school serving students in grades K through 8.Founded in 1853, we are committed to excellence in preparing our students to think critically and becomeconfident, sensitive Christian leaders capable of adapting and contributing to the world community.Student development occurs within a process of formation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and achallenging academic curriculum calling each student to his or her highest potential.VISION STATEMENTSaints Peter & Paul School’s vision is to deepen the faith life of all involved in the educational missionof our school – students, parents, and faculty. We will do this by promoting collaboration among theseconstituents.Our school will be a place where students feel comfortable, safe, and accepted which in turn willfoster the development of responsible, caring students who are lifelong learners that are prepared to meetthe challenges of a culturally diverse society which is often at odds with Catholic values.3

CURRICULUMOur aim is for each child to work at his own ability level and to compete with himself to develop apositive self-concept. Beginning in kindergarten, our goal is to make school an enjoyable experience andcreate an environment that will allow each student to be the best he or she can be.Religion, Reading, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, and Math are taught daily. The studentsalso have one special class every day, either Physical Education, Music, Art, Spanish, or Computer. Foreignlanguage is introduced to students in second grade, offered to all students in third, fourth, and fifth gradeand becomes an elective in the Jr. High when it is offered five days over two weeks.Computer education is enhanced by instruction in our two computer labs and a laptop lab availableto all teachers for classroom use. The elementary lab includes 30 PC’s, which are linked to the Internet, andthe Jr. High lab houses 36 PC’s. Computers are also available in the Learning Resource Center and anelementary building mini-lab. In addition, we have wireless capability to bring the Internet into allclassrooms and a laptop lab that can be signed out for class use in grades 4-8. Depending on the gradelevel, the children are introduced to keyboarding, word processing, graphics, multi-media development,spreadsheets, desktop publishing, graphing, map work, electronic sourcing for research, timelinedevelopment, and web page development.Our faculty and staff are prepared to instruct your child at the appropriate skill level. In addition tothe homeroom teachers, we employ teacher aides in kindergarten and in the other primary grades when theskilled subjects are taught. While we do not have a formal program to address learning disabilities, we canmeet the special needs of many of our students whose learning style requires more specialized instruction.This is our Project Discover program which provides additional reinforcement, either in the classroom or in asmall group setting, for children in grades K-8 whose performance is not commensurate with their abilities.A support staff of sixteen paraprofessionals works with our students in Math, Reading, Social Studies,Science, Language Arts, and Speech. Children who qualify for speech services may contract to receive themat Saints Peter & Paul School through one of our staff members. We also have a counselor on site threedays per week.Our accelerated program is called PROJECT EXPLORE. It teaches higher level thinking skills to allchildren in grades 3-5 and is offered as a before school morning program to qualified students in the Jr.High. In addition, we have several pull-out programs available to eligible seventh and eighth graders, suchas Literature Plus, Creative Writing, and advanced Math.Our students in the primary grades are taught in self-contained classrooms where each teacher hasan aide for instruction in Reading, Math, and Language Arts. Grades 4-8 are departmentalized and studentsare grouped for Math and Language Arts.A complete listing of the textbooks we use can be found on our web site.4

RELIGIONThe primary reason for the existence of Saints Peter & Paul School is the religious education,formation, and development of each child. Each day begins with prayer, and the children have manyadditional opportunities to pray throughout the school day. Our goal is for our students to use their Godgiventalents and abilities to become “difference makers” in our parish, community, and society.While the essence of this religious growth is centered around daily instruction, it is our belief thatChristian worship, the reception of the Sacraments, personal prayer, and social action are equally necessaryfactors in the total program of religious education.As the Catholic Church remains increasingly more dependent on the laity, we seek to instill in ourstudents the obligation that they have to utilize their talents and abilities on behalf of their fellow man.Consequently, we begin preparing them for active adult role in the Church by requiring all students toengage in service to the parish or community for which they are to receive no remuneration.Grade level criteria include:Kindergarten1st Grade2nd Grade3rd Grade4th Grade5th Grade6th Grade7th Grade8th Grade- Collect socks and toiletries for the poor- Provide books for an inner city school- Provide baby food for a poor family- Provide a food basket each month for the Food Pantry- Perform 10 hours of community service- Perform 10 hours of community service- Perform 15 hours of community service- Perform 20 hours of community service- Perform 25 hours of community serviceA special Christian witness record is kept in each child's cumulative folder and is signed by thehomeroom teacher as the requirements are completed. This required service must be completed annually inorder for a child to be promoted to the next grade.Examples of the kinds of extra service our students have been involved in include: childcare helperor catechist helper for R.E. Sunday School and children’s ministry, nursing home volunteer, pro-life projects,participating in the Feed My Starving Children program, parish choir, parish nursery baby-sitter, Knights ofColumbus candy sale, and participation in area PADS programs. Serving at any parish Mass, whether it beon a school day (6:45, 8:00, 5:15, or funeral) or weekend, fulfills this requirement.Other examples of in-school service include Patrols (15 minutes for each AM or 20 minutes for eachday of PM patrol), lunchroom monitors (Gr. 1 & 2 – 30 minutes daily; Gr. 3 - 40 minutes daily), Morninggreeters (3.5 hrs. per semester); Flag Patrol – 2.5 hrs. per semester; Playground Safety – 3.5 hrs. persemester; Cone Safety – 5 hrs.; Morning Mail – 5 hrs. per semester; and Noon Mail – 2 hrs. per semester.RELIGION HANDBOOKOur Religion Handbook is now online and contains a list of our all-school liturgies as well asinformation about our sacramental programs. In addition, parents can learn about each classroom’s patronsaint, the prayers that children learn each year, and other aspects of our Religion program.PRAYER TREEEach Monday we update our prayer tree before we begin our morning prayers. The prayer tree is anopportunity for families to have our entire student body praying for the needs of a loved one. You areencouraged to call our office or email us to let us know when someone in your family (or a good friend) is inneed of God’s healing grace.5

MASSOur entire student body attends an 8:00 a.m. Mass weekly. Students in K-3 go to Church eachTuesday while those in grades 4-8 celebrate liturgy on Thursday. As part of our devotion to the SacredHeart, our entire student body will also worship on the First Friday of each month. On average, the entirestudent body will worship together once per month. In addition, our student body gathers together tocelebrate such events as holy days of obligation, Ash Wednesday, May Crowning, Stations of the Cross, theLiving Rosary, the Triduum, and other special celebrations such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.Parents are cordially invited and encouraged to attend these liturgies in which the students take anactive part. A complete list of all school liturgies, the class which is preparing them, as well as thoseassigned to be Extraordinary Ministers for Communion will be posted on our web page.RECONCILIATIONA mandatory one-hour information meeting, required for all parents whose child is receiving thissacrament, is scheduled in early fall. Parents can fulfill this obligation by attending one of the following:Saturday, September 22, at 9:00 a.m.; or Monday, September 24, at 7:00 p.m. Both meetings will be held inthe Holy Family Chapel.Our second grade students celebrate First Reconciliation in the Church on Tuesday, November 6, at7:00 p.m. Students in grades 3-8 are afforded the opportunity to receive the sacrament with theirhomeroom during each semester.FIRST HOLY COMMUNIONSimilar to Reconciliation, a one-hour information meeting for all second grade parents of a childpreparing to make their First Holy will be held shortly after the Christmas vacation. Parents can fulfill thisobligation by attending any of the following gatherings that will be held in the Holy Family Chapel of ourMinistry Center: Saturday, February 23, 9:00 a.m.; or Monday, February 25, 7:00 p.m.Our second graders will receive their First Holy Communion on Saturday, May 4, at 2:00 p.m. withtheir classmates. The second graders will receive the sacrament for the first time with the entire studentbody at an all school Mass on Thursday, May 9. That afternoon they will be treated to a special lunch afterwhich they will spend the remainder of the day playing games and having fun at Central Park.CONFIRMATIONPreparation for this sacrament is a two-year process beginning in seventh grade in our daily Religionclasses and culminating in eighth grade. All eighth grade candidates, and their parents, are expected toattend two meetings. The first meeting on Christian Anthropology is scheduled for September 29 and againis offered on October 2. The second meeting on Liturgy and Personal Responsibility is offered on February 2and also on February 5.Seventh graders and their parents are to attend either the September 8 or 13 presentation on What isConfirmation and are also to choose either January 10 or 12 for the topic of Prayer.An all-day student retreat will be scheduled in the fall for our eighth graders. At this time, we have not beengiven a date by Bishop Conlon as to when this sacrament will be conferred.6

SERVICE TO OTHERSThe concept of worshipping God through service to others is further developed by encouragingstudents to participate in the following:Community OutreachSchool ServicesThanksgiving Food Drive Safety Patrol *Holy Childhood Association Altar Servers #Adopt A FamilyStudent CouncilVisitation to Nursing Homes * Lunch Room Monitors *Nursing Home GiftsHorse PatrolRight to Life Mail Delivery *Breast Cancer ResearchExtended Day*Right to LifeBig BuddyGrandfriends’ Program at St. Patrick’s ResidenceFlag PatrolPlayground Safety * * Counts toward required service hours. # May count toward required service hours. (See p. 5)STATIONS OF THE CROSSStations and Benediction are attended by students in grades K-8 during Lent.PRAYERSDuring their years at our school, students will learn traditional Catholic prayers:Kindergarten Sign of the Cross, Grace before meals, Guardian AngelGrade 1 Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory BeGrade 2 Morning Offering, Act of ContritionGrade 3 Apostles CreedGrade 4 Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love, The ConfiteorGrade 5 The Angelus, Prayer of St. Francis, BeatitudesGrade 6 Come Holy Spirit, Psalms from textbookGrade 7 Hail, Holy Queen, MemorareGrade 8 Nicene Creed, Magnificat, Serenity Prayer.PRAYER SERVICESDuring Advent and Lent our student body begins each week with a morning prayer service eachMonday focusing on these special times in the Church season.FAITH EXPERIENCEAs an extension of our religion curriculum, each grade level participates in a religious faith filledexperience. For a complete list of these faith experiences, please consult the Religion Handbook.AIDSA component of our Family Life Program in the upper grades is a unit on AIDS education. TheNational Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), the umbrella organization for Catholic schools throughoutthe United States, has been in the forefront of developing and applying Church teachings on this issue andoffers a textbook entitled AIDS: A CATHOLIC EDUCATIONAL APPROACH TO HIV. This material has beenthe basis of our instruction on this topic for the past decade. It allows our faculty to deal with this delicate,yet, important topic in a context that is infused with Gospel values and Church teaching about humansexuality and human responsibility.FAMILY LIFE7

Another supplement to our religion curriculum is our Family Life program that is taught in earlyFebruary. This is a complete and comprehensive Catholic family life program for students in kindergartenthrough eighth grade. The program covers five major themes:GOD'S GIFT OF FAMILYGOD'S GIFT OF SELFGOD'S GIFT OF LIFEGOD'S GIFT OF SEXUALITYGOD'S GIFT OF COMMUNITYWhile we feel our teachers do an excellent job in covering these oft-time sensitive topics, we takesteps to ensure that parents are given the option of working with the school on this subject. All schoolfamilies are given an opportunity to preview materials before they are taught in the classroom. This willprepare you for any follow-up discussions at home you feel your child is ready for.Because fifth grade deals with the topic of sexuality and reproduction, we will have a special eveningprogram for these students and their parents to begin their studies. As part of the program conductedduring religion classes, we also bring in school parents who are in the medical field to respond to any ageappropriatequestions or concerns the children may have. In addition, we will hold a special fall coffee forthe parents to explain the program in greater depth.Finally, parents who do not choose to have their child participate in the Family Life program maysubmit a written request to have them opt out of the class.PROTECTING GOD’S CHILDRENProtecting God’s Children, developed by the Virtus organization, is a program the Diocese of Joliethas adopted, along with 50 other dioceses throughout the nation. It offers a comprehensive sexual abuseprevention and education program to all diocesan and parish employees, and also to all volunteers who workwith children. All parish and diocesan employees, and all volunteers who have significant or sustainedcontact with children, must participate in the 3-hour video-based workshop. Attendance allows participantsboth to be aware of the problem and to understand the plan the diocese has to prevent child sexual abuse.Diocesan policy requires that parents, or adults over the age of eighteen, who will be workingdirectly with children in such areas as coaching, chaperoning field trips, working in the sick room, serving asroom mothers, dispensing hot lunches, directing school plays, teaching religious education classes, etc. arenot allowed to fulfill these responsibilities without first going through the training and undergoing abackground check. This must be done every five years in order to continue working with children in anyongoing capacity. Teachers and contracted support staff are required to submit to a fingerprinting check.The Pastoral Policy Regarding Sexual Abuse of Minors has been in effect in the Joliet Diocese since1998. We are required to send a copy of this document home to our families and collect, and keep on file, asigned acknowledgment form.School Board policy also requires all school parents to complete this course and submit tobackground screening within the first year of their child’s attendance, and repeated every five years after.This allows our four leadership boards greater flexibility when seeking volunteers. Facilitating the program atSaints Peter & Paul Parish on the evening of Thursday, August 30, are Peggy Partipilo, parish program andTheresa Pratt, director of early childhood and Jr. High youth ministry. You may also attend workshops atother parishes in the Joliet Diocese and can obtain a listing of those offerings by checking the diocesanwebsite www.dioceseofjoliet.org.Each August, parents are to receive online a tri-fold entitled Parent Guide to Understanding &Preventing Child Sexual Abuse. Since this is a difficult topic for parents to speak to their children about, the8

material in the brochure is designed to give you background information about sexual abuse, to inform youabout other ways to keep your children safe, and to provide you with tips for talking to your children.SAFE ENVIRONEMENT CURRICULUMThe mandatory student component of the Protecting God’s Children program is entitled TalkingAbout Touching, also known as the Safe Environment curriculum. As approved by the Diocese of Joliet, itis a mandated program for children enrolled in a Catholic school/REO program in grades K-8. Diocese ofJoliet modifications eliminate the need for teachers to refer to private body parts by anatomically propernames. That instruction is reserved for parents.Our teaching staff has been in-serviced on this program. Its primary goals are to teach children:1. How to recognize unsafe touches2. How to respond appropriately by saying “no”3. How to tell a “safe” adult about what has happenedAge-appropriate materials used in this one-day program with children in grades K-5 will be availablefor parental viewing in Zuker Hall during November’s Parent-Teacher conferences in November before theyare presented to the children later than month.Jr. High students will receive a presentation from a local law enforcement official on the topic ofInternet safety. Also included will be warnings about the dangers of chat rooms and services such asMySpace, YouTube, and Facebook.In accordance with diocesan policy, parents can sign an opt-out form if they do not want theirchildren to participate in this program.9

SCHOOL BOARDThe School Board is a policy-making and regulatory body operating within its own area ofcompetency in regards to the parish school and subject to regulations from the pastor and the DiocesanSchool Office. It consists of nine voting and two ex-officio members. They are a consultative board chargedwith among other things, establishing the school calendar, setting tuition rates, and creating the operationalbudget. Among the ways in which they differ from public school boards is that they do not deal with matterspertaining to curriculum or personnel.All current school families are eligible to serve on the School Board, and to vote in School Boardelections. Term of office and vacancies will be listed in the principal’s February newsletter so interestedparents have ample time to decide on submitting their candidacy prior to May elections.Regular meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of the month except for December and July whenthere are no meetings, and June, when the board schedules a day prior to the end of the school year. Allmeetings are in Room U 217-218 of the Ministry Center, begin at 6:00 p.m., and are open to the public.The agenda for each meeting will be included in the principal’s monthly Parent Newsletter. Minutescan be found on the school web page. For an issue or topic to be discussed at a board meeting, it must besubmitted in writing to the president or secretary at least five days prior to a regularly scheduled meeting.Parents are reminded that if they have an issue with something which occurred in the classroom, they are tofirst contact the teacher directly. If the matter is still unresolved their next recourse is to go to the principal.As a final resort, they have the opportunity to approach the School Board. Similarly if there is a probleminvolving athletics, parents should first go to the coach, then the athletic director, and then the principalbefore coming to the School Board.The following parents constitute the School Board for the 2012-13 school year:President: John ScanlonVice President: Mike EraciSecretary: Carolyn BuckleyArt ChickBarb EnrightKathee FoxShelly JarosJoe SchromJohn WozniakBoth Fr. Milota and Mr. Glowaty are ex-officio members.10

HOME AND SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONAll parents and guardians of children currently attending Saints Peter & Paul School, as well as clergyand teachers, are automatically members of our Home & School Association. This is a wonderful serviceorganization whose activities are designed to provide "extra benefits" for our students, faculty, and school.The purposes of the organization are:1. The promotion of closer cooperation and communication between the school and home.2. To help promote and financially support quality Catholic education.3. To encourage high standards of family life.This year’s H & S board consists of:Noelle Gollinger– PresidentDenise Petty– Vice-PresidentSheila Edwards – SecretaryAnne Marie Gajdalo - TreasurerA regular business meeting is generally scheduled for the second Wednesday of each month at12:45 in Rm. U 227 of the Ministry Center with the exact dates found on our website. All parents arewelcome to attend. Minutes of previous meetings are posted on our school’s web page.The committees of the organization shall be as follows:1. Servicesa. Hot Lunch Program m. Emergency Calling Listb. Founder’s Day n. School Storec. Fine Arts Festival o. Hobby Faird. Room Parents p. Hospitalitye. School Supplies q. Helping Handf. Uniform Exchange r. Chess Clubg. Art Awareness s. Secret Santah. Mentoring/Welcoming t. Campbell's Soup/General Mills Labelsi. Agape u. School Greetersj. Noontime medical v Young Rembrandt’sk. Target w. Fine Arts Festivall. Family Fundraiser Nights x. Spanish Ladder2. Ways and Meansa. Auction (March 2) d. School Suppliesb. Fun Fair (September 28) e. Red Applec. BlessingsBy supporting Home & School fund raising efforts, you are directly supporting your children, the faculty, aswell as the short-term and long-term future of our school. Each year, the Home and School commits$110,000 to help balance the school’s operational budget. Here is a look at how their tireless efforts helpeveryone:StudentsHome & School funds speakers for student assemblies; DJ’s for Jr. High dances, games for Founder’s Day,and underwrites some of the costs of faith experiences on all grade levels. They also provide money forroom parents for class parties and special projects.11

Faculty & StaffEach teacher is provided with $100 at the beginning of each year to purchase additional classroom supplies.They also give everyone a cash gift on his/her birthday and Christmas. Christmas is even merrier as theytreat the faculty and staff to a special lunch, and they also celebrate teacher appreciation week each Maywith another delicious luncheon. Summers also get off to a good start for our faculty and staff with a yearenddinner for which the H&S pick up the tab. A major portion of Home & School proceeds is used to fundthe Professional Educators Benefit Plan (PEBP) that helps our teachers, on average, approach 80% of whatthey could earn in Naperville School District 203. Finally, a stipend is presented to the support staff as ayear-end bonus.Operational BudgetThe Home and School helps mitigate large tuition increases by $100,000 from their annual fundraising to theschool’s operational budget.SchoolOnce the aforementioned obligations are met, remaining funds are allocated to a capital project, and theTeachers’ Endowment. In the event there is no designated capital project, or the project doesn’t requireHome and School funding, all monies will be added to the Teachers’ Endowment.The main Home & School fundraisers include Red Apple, Fun Fair (September 28), Auction (March 2), andBLESSINGS. It is a mandatory obligation of all school families to assist in the manpower needs of two ofthese events. Single parent households would have to commit to two events. In lieu of this workcommitment, families have the option of a $500 "buy-out" payment.At all times, participation in these activities is optional and is offered to school families as either a service,social opportunity, or as a fundraiser for the school.12

DEVELOPMENT BOARDDevelopment is a process by which we invite our parents, alumni, former parents, grandparents, andparishioners to make tax-deductible gifts to our school so that it may have the necessary revenue to fund allof our programs and help us achieve short and long-term goals. Saints Peter & Paul School was founded in1853. Our students today continue to benefit from the hard work, vision, dedication, and sacrifices of theschool families who have gone before. A basic principle of development is that current families have aresponsibility to leave the school in even better shape to provide a quality Catholic education for futuregenerations of parish children.Realizing that parish resources are limited, and that many young families struggle to meet escalating tuitionrates, the Development Board was created in 1988 by former pastor, Fr. James Lennon. It was designed tohelp the School Board by building endowments which would generate long-term sources of revenue for theschool. Traditionally, schools rely on tuition, parish subsidy, and fund raising to balance their budget.Development efforts are designed to invite support from other constituents such as alumni, former schoolfamilies, grandparents, parishioners, vendors, and friends.The Development Board’s focus remains to grow our three endowments: Capital Improvement, Teachers,and Tuition Assistance. Earnings from these endowments are applied to our operational budget each year.In the past twenty-five years, over $3.7 million in earnings or donations have been used to upgrade ourfacilities, provide financial aid, and retain faculty as follows:Tuition assistance via Golf Outing - $915,000Capital Improvement -$1,119,000Teachers’ Endowment - $785,000Annual Fund Drive - $918,000Contributions from these sources last year alone saved each school family $496 in tuition.Parents are invited to assist in many ways, including a golf outing held each fall (September 10 at NapervilleCountry Club) and a spring dinner dance in celebration of Catholic Education (April 26 at White Eagle), all ofwhich are annual events. At the dance, teachers and staff celebrating milestone anniversaries are honoredas well as outgoing parent leaders from the Athletic Association, School Board, Home & School, andDevelopment Board for their numerous contributions to our school. Induction into our Hall of Honors alsotakes place at this social.Each winter an Annual Fund Drive is conducted which solicits donations, not only from school parents, butfrom alumni, parishioners, grandparents, former parents, and the business community as well. Parent giftsare used to balance the operational budget and help defray the cost of the Professional Educators BenefitPlan that supplements teacher pay. The goal for this coming year remains at $65,000. Last year’s giftshelped fund the jr. high sprinkler project.The Development Board also promotes the concept of planned giving by scheduling Estate Planning seminarsevery other year. Their goal is to inform people of the tax advantages available to them as a result ofincluding Saints Peter & Paul School in their estate planning. Such gifts, which would include bequests, thenaming of the school as the beneficiary of an insurance policy, or transferring retirement benefits, IRA’s, orannuities, will be used to fund the Teachers’ Endowment.To provide leadership and direction to our development efforts, a dedicated group of men and women serveon the Development Board, which meets at 7:00 PM on the third Thursday of each month except in July andDecember.13

This year’s Board consists of:Colleen Flannery – PresidentRyan Kubacki – Vice-PresidentJennifer Keeley – SecretaryErich Grundman - TreasurerJim BarzJean ChickMichelle CleggDave FoxMark HattasBill HayesWillard HemsworthMike KaufmanJohn McGawHeather RyanAdam SturtzMike TrimbergerBill WaightANNUAL FUND DRIVEEach year, our Development Board conducts an Annual Fund Drive in an effort to afford parents, alumni, andparishioners the opportunity to support our school with a tax-deductible gift. Not only does their generosityallow us to purchase things that could not be included in our operating budget, but it also allows the SchoolBoard to keep the tuition increases smaller than they otherwise would be.Contributions from alumni and parishioners are added to the Teachers’ Endowment. Accumulated gifts up to$65,000 from current school families are applied to our operational budget. Gifts in excess of this amountare applied to the Teachers’ Endowment.Donors who contribute $1,000 or more annually are enrolled in the MSGR. STENGER SOCIETY, named aftera former pastor who served our parish for twenty-four years and who built the Jr. High building in 1957.14

ADMISSIONSAs a parish school, Saints Peter & Paul offers an outstanding Catholic education to students fromkindergarten through eighth grade. Because of the desire for the education offered and the fact that wehave limited facilities, the school board has adopted the following criteria to be employed to determine whichstudents will be admitted to the school.Since we are a Catholic School, preference is given to Catholic students. All families who desire theirchildren to attend Saints Peter & Paul School must be registered parishioners, must regularly practice theirfaith, and must support the Church financially.* Families with children already enrolled in school may havenew registrations (e.g. Kindergarten) rejected if they fail to meet any of the criteria mentioned above.Due to the fact that the demand for enrollment in many grades often exceeds the openings we haveavailable, the School Board adheres to the following admissions policy.Assuming the above criteria have been satisfied, applications for enrollment will be ranked asfollows:1. From families belonging to Saints Peter & Paul Parish whose children are attending Saints Peter &Paul School as of the previous August, and who have other children signed up on our waiting list willbe ranked in order of years as a contributing member of Saints Peter & Paul Parish. People mustuse their parish envelopes in order for their weekly contributions to be registered.2. From families belonging to other parishes whose children are attending Saints Peter & Paul School asof the previous August, ranked in order of date of enrollment into Saints Peter & Paul School of theoldest child that attended Saints Peter & Paul School.3. From families who had a child attend Saints Peter & Paul School or who are transferring from aCatholic school.4. From families belonging to Saints Peter & Paul Parish, ranked in order of years as a contributingmember of Saints Peter & Paul Parish.5. From families belonging to a parish that has no school or specific grade for which they are applyingranked in order of years as a contributing member of their parish. ** Families from other Catholic parishes are assessed an additional $1,000 per child.PLEASE NOTE: CHILDREN OF FAMILIES WITH DELINQUENT TUITION WHO HAVE NOTCONTACTED OUR PASTOR CAN BE DENIED ADMISSION AT THE START OF EACH SEMESTER UNTIL SUCHBALANCES ARE BROUGHT CURRENT OR A MUTUALLY SUITABLE PAYMENT ALTERNATIVE IS AGREED TOBETWEEN THE FAMILY AND PASTOR AND PRINCIPAL.Prospective kindergarten students for the 2012-13 school year should be five years of age bySeptember 1, 2012, and prospective first grade students should be six years of age by September 1, 2012.Early bird kindergarten registrations for the 2013-14 school term will be accepted during a fall OpenHouse scheduled for Monday, October 22. This is being held primarily for parish families whose oldest childwill be eligible to begin kindergarten in the fall of 2013, as well as for any current school families that willhave a sibling eligible to enroll. We offer three separate full-day kindergarten classes. Parents who desireonly a half-day program will continue to have that opportunity by having their child placed in a class with fulldaystudents. Families seeking this option will have their child dismissed at 11:30.15

We will also hold a second registration for new families during our Catholic Schools Week celebrationof January 27-February 1.The application process for all incoming students in grades 1-8 who are interested in transferringfrom a public school includes an interview for both the parents and child. All transfer students who areallowed to enroll are accepted on a probationary status that will be reviewed at the end of the first quarter.RE-REGISTRATIONRe-registration for the 2013-14 school year will begin on January 31. A registration fee of $100 perstudent will be collected with $70 of the fee being applied to the first month's tuition.As a non-public school, Saints Peter & Paul reserves the right to re-enroll only those children whohave exhibited the necessary cooperation and attitude required for the school to fulfill its educational mission.It is unfair to the students, parents, or teachers to allow individuals to consistently disrupt the teaching andlearning atmosphere.Students with academic deficiencies which are severe enough to require the services of a “specialneeds” teacher may also be unable to remain at Saints Peter & Paul School if their diagnosed needs cannotbe met. Also, an application will be denied to any student whose behavior is not consistent with theexpectations of a Catholic school. In addition, families must be current with all tuition payments.A letter of invitation will accompany all re-registrations. No student will be admitted whose purposefor seeking admission is due to ethnic, racial, and/or social prejudices.Please refer to the School Board policies online for clarification as to how re-registration is handledfor families who have a history of tardy or chronically late tuition payments.ENROLLMENT FORMS and TUITION PAYMENT PLANTo facilitate planning, scheduling, new registrations, ordering of textbooks and materials, andhiring of staff, we have designated May as the month during which returning families and new familieswho have been accepted to Saints Peter and Paul School are required to complete all the necessaryenrollment forms and a tuition payment plan for the ensuing school year. Families have until midnight ofMay 31 to complete the enrollment forms and set up a tuition payment plan in order to guarantee a spotfor their children for the coming year.Our goal is twofold. First and foremost, we are seeking a firm commitment from families as totheir children’s education for the coming year. Secondly, the completion of these forms prior to theclosing of the current academic year streamlines the work of our clerical staff, the parish bookkeepers,and the incoming Home & School officers. The summer vacation period can be a very difficult time to tryand contact people or recruit new students.May 1 then becomes the deadline for the School Board to set tuition rates as well as for futurerevisions of this document in terms of new policies or procedures.FACTS enrollment and tuition management is used to facilitate these processes. FACTS is usedto streamline not only the tuition collection and management process, but will also provide an on-lineenrollment process for the upcoming year. This will reduce the administrative burden placed on ourschool and parish finance office staff as well as the parent volunteers who have tirelessly supported theregistration process in years past.16

For those families applying for tuition assistance, the enrollment forms and a tuition paymentplan must be completed as well by the designated due date. Once a family learns that they weregranted tuition assistance, they can contact the Parish Finance Office to make the necessary adjustmentsto their tuition payment plan. Tuition assistance cannot be applied if no tuition payment plan is set up inFACTS.If all enrollment forms and a tuition payment plan are not completed in FACTS on orbefore the designated due date, a $100 per student late enrollment fee will be charged toeach family.17

PARENT COOPERATION CONTRACTA child’s best hope of reaching his (her) potential is when the parents and school educators work intandem. The following list includes our expectations for all school families. As a condition of enrollment fortheir children, parents must sign this contract annually.Agreeing that we are the primary educators of our children…….We will attend weekly Mass and be active in our faith as an example to our children.We will ensure our children fulfill their service requirements and also be an example to them by ourinvolvement in church and community events.pages.We will stay appraised of school events by regularly visiting the school web site and, in particular, the teacherWe will attend school Orientation Nights, Parent-Teacher conferences, Sacramental meetings, Coffees with thePrincipal, and fulfill our Positive Coaching Alliance requirement.We will furnish the school with all medical, dental, psychological and other pertinent information teachers needto help our children function successfully both academically and socially.We will provide a balance between academic and extracurricular activities to ensure our children have ampleopportunity to complete assignments and get the sufficient rest necessary to perform to their capabilities in school.We agree to support Saints Peter & Paul through prayer, positive relationships, and the giving of our time,talent, and treasure, and will pay our tuition in accordance with timelines established by the School Board.We will plan medical appointments and family vacations around the school calendar.We will be supportive of the school, teachers, and principal in front of our children and parish community.We will treat teacher correspondence about our child in the spirit that such communication is simply designed toinform us of areas where our child needs to do better and show improvement.We will foster responsibility in our children by not acknowledging their requests for forgotten homework,lunches, personal belongings, etc.We understand the intent of the Student Pledge, and accept the guidelines of the Steps to Respect program. Inturn, we will stress the importance of our children developing positive relationships with all of their classmates.We will monitor the media influences on our children's lives by scrutinizing their reading materials, as well aswhat they watch on television, videos, movies, and being aware of the music they listen to.We accept the school’s discipline code, as outlined in this handbook, and view it as a growth instrument for ourchildren and being in their best long term interests by teaching them to accept responsibility for their actions with peers,professional staff, and volunteers.We will acknowledge the School Board's efforts to minimize tuition increases by fulfilling our mandatoryobligation to work either the Auction, Fun Fair, or Blessings, and by supporting the Annual Fund Drive to the best of ourability.We will contact the teachers to schedule a conference as soon as we feel a problem exists. We will withholdjudgment until speaking with the teacher whom we will always contact first before reaching out to the principal.We have read the Student / Parent Handbook, accept the regulations and policies written therein, and agree todiscuss appropriate areas with our children.We understand that we are responsible to complete the necessary enrollment forms and a tuition payment planusing FACTS on or before the designated due date.18

STUDENT CONTRACTTo be successful, a school must have its student body, parents, and faculty working in unison. Tohelp impress upon the students the seriousness of their part of the equation we submit the followingcontract:As children reach the intermediate grades, they become a larger part of the equation for schoolsuccess. Neither parents nor teachers can help them reach their overall potential without a child’s seriouseffort, cooperation, and adherence to school and teacher rules. The following list includes our expectationsfor all children. Students who do not sign, or live up to this agreement, risk not being re-enrolled for thefollowing school year.I have read and discussed the Student/Parent Handbook with my parents and understand theexpectations the school leadership and faculty has for me.I will be respectful of my classmates and avoid any behavior that belittles, degrades, or humiliatesothers. I will also try to be welcoming and inclusive in my relationships with my peers.I will conduct myself at all times in accordance with the Student Pledge and guidelines of the Stepsto Respect program.I understand the school's academic and behavioral requirements as outlined in the Parent/StudentHandbook are designed to help me grow, and I accept them and their consequences as fair, just, andreasonable.I agree to cooperate to the best of my ability with the administration, faculty, supervisors,volunteers, coaches, bus drivers, and all other adults working with our school.I will do my best to always represent my family, school, and church in a Christian manner which willmake them proud, whether it be during the school day or at an extracurricular or school sponsored activity.I realize that school is my job, and I will be conscientious in completing my assignments and comingto class prepared with all necessary books and materials fully knowing that failing to do so will adverselyimpact my grades.I will keep my desk and locker clean and respect all school and parish property and grounds as wellas those items which belong to teachers or other students.I will be compliant with the school dress code and uniform policy.I promise to inform the appropriate adults of any situation that could cause disruption to the schoolday. This includes threats of vandalism, or damage to school or parish property, or anything else whichmight cause physical, emotional, or moral harm to any member of the student body, professional staff, orvolunteers.I pledge to abide by all school rules regarding the handling of computer equipment, programs, andthe school’s Internet policy. I understand that even posting negative or degrading information about schoolpersonnel or members of the student body from my home computer is subject to school sanctions.I will be respectful of adults, especially those who have jurisdiction over me such as priests,teachers, coaches, bus drivers, chaperones, and all other school support staff.I realize that my actions, language, and dress have an influence on younger children and I willalways try to maintain the highest standards in each area.As part of my Christian development, I will continue to witness my faith by making service to othersan important part of my life, and participate actively in weekly liturgies and prayer services.19

PROFILE OF A SAINTS PETER & PAUL SCHOOL GRADUATE AT GRADUATIONOne of the recent marketing efforts that has gained momentum nationwide is something called theprofile of a graduate at graduation. In essence, it is telling prospective parents what they can expecttheir child to be like after spending the nine years with us from kindergarten through eighth grade. Acommittee of our faculty has centered on the following characteristics:Is well-prepared for the academic challenges of high schoolIs forming a Christian conscience and evaluating moral choicesActs with dignity, kindness, consideration, and truthfulnessUnderstands the central role of God in human lifeAccepts the consequences of one’s words and actions without blaming othersIs more sensitive to the beauty of the created universe and is more caring about life and thenatural environmentSets and achieves goals through commitment and hard workHas begun to develop an awareness and empathy for the less fortunateHas developed an organized approach to learning tasksIs learning how to communicate with God in various methods of prayerRecognizes a responsibility to care for the body, mind, and spiritIs developing a curiosity to explore new ideas and issuesUnderstands that service to others is a good use of God-given talentIs knowledgeable about the responsible use and application of technologySTUDENT PLEDGETo help our students realize their potential and to develop some of the skills listed in the Profile of aSaints Peter & Paul School Graduate at Graduation, following our prayers, announcements, and Pledge ofAllegiance each morning, our student body will be asked to recite the following student pledge:I promise to do my best today to be Christ-like and accept responsibilityfor my words, actions, and deeds. With Jesus as my role model, I will notonly refrain from anything that can be hurtful to my classmates, but I will tryto do my best to be kind, courteous, friendly, respectful, and welcoming witheveryone I encounter.20

FACULTY CONTRACTAs professionally trained educators, our faculty and staff play a significant role in developingthe gifts that our children have been blessed with. To make each year a success, we promise….To be witnesses to the Catholic faith and a role model to the children through our language,actions, and dress.To regard each student with respect and fairness.To foster a loving and nurturing classroom through a positive attitude designed to create a comfortzone for each child to participate without fear of failure or ridicule.To organize classes and instructional groups to stimulate thinking and make use of effective learningpurposes.To respect the privacy of students and their families and avoid gossiping.To respect the confidence of my students and utilize such confidences to build trust andunderstanding so as to aid the children.To learn about each student as an individual so as to be able to relate to each child as a total personand not strictly in an academic setting.To encourage the diverse interests of our students by being present at activities such as bandconcerts, athletic events, the school play, or the Fine Arts Festival.To support our school community by attending and volunteering at events such as the Fun Fair,Auction, and Fish Fry.To update our web page weekly, in accordance with administrative policy, so that parents areinformed of teacher expectations for their children.To establish rapport with the parents, and to respond to their concerns, by keeping them informedof their children's successes and challenges in a reasonable period of time.To check e-mails and phone messages daily and try to respond to all parent inquiries in a timelymanner.To help students learn from their mistakes by returning all tests, homework assignments, andprojects in a reasonable time frame.To come to class each day in a positive frame of mind, fully prepared to instruct students in ameaningful and informative manner.To be available before or after school to offer assistance to students with academic or personaldifficulties.To increase my competence and update myself professionally by taking classes, workshops,attending institutes, and reading professional journals.To understand that my personality and presence are major influences in setting a positive, happy,and productive tone in the classroom. To that end, I would never implicitly state or infer negativethings about an entire class. I will strive to be positive in offering constructive criticism.21

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTSOur school is supported by tuition, fundraisers, donations, book fees and parish subsidy. Tuitionrates are set by the Saints Peter & Paul Board of Education each spring for the upcoming school year.Ss. Peter and Paul Tuition PolicyFor the annual (one-time) tuition payment plan, the payment is due in full, utilizing the FACTSsystem, on either July 5 th or July 15 th . For the monthly tuition payment plan, the payment is duethrough FACTS on either the 5 th or 15 th for the months July, August, September, October, November,December, January, March, April and May.Tuition Rate and Schedule for 2012-13 School YearPayment Plan:Annual(ACH –auto debit)Annual(Credit Card)Monthly(ACH –auto debit)Monthly(Credit Card)Payments Due: 7/1 or 7/15/12 7/1 or 7/15/12 7/1/12 -5/15/13 7/1/12 -5/15/13One Child(IncludingKindergarten) $3,890 $3,987.25 $389.00 $398.73Two Children $7,391 $7,575.77 $739.10 $757.58Three Children $10,892 $11,164.30 $1,089.20 $1,116.43Four Children $12,448 $12,759.20 $1,244.80 $1,275.92 The cost of educating each child for 2012-13 will be approximately $5,720. Families who belong to parishes other than Saints Peter & Paul will be required to pay an additional $1,000 per child. FACTS does not accept checks or VISA. FACTS only accepts ACH withdrawal from either checking or savings or payment byMasterCard, Discover or American Express. For those paying with MasterCard, Discover or American Express, FACTS will assessan additional 2.5% convenience fee. The February tuition payment will be skipped as that will be the month that the re-registration fee for the following school yearwill be due.Tuition - PaymentsAll tuition payments are due on either the 5 th or 15th of each month via FACTS Online TuitionManagement System, depending on which date is selected by the family. There will be a reminderincluded in the Principal’s Thursday e-Envelope about upcoming tuition payment due dates. It willbe each family’s responsibility to remember when payments are due.Payments may be made by automatic ACH withdrawal from either checking or savings accounts orby MasterCard, Discover or American Express. FACTS does not accept VISA or check payments. Ifone of the accepted credit cards is the chosen method of payment, FACTS will assess a 2.5%convenience fee for each payment.There is an invoice option that is available ONLY to those families who elect to make a one-timeannual tuition payment.Tuition – Making Changes to Your Payment PlanFamilies can change their preferred method of payment via FACTS Online Tuition ManagementSystem; however, the change needs to be made four (4) business days prior to the next paymentdate.Any other types of changes to the FACTS tuition payment plan must be handled through the ParishFinance Office. These changes must be communicated to the Parish Finance Office no less thanfour (4) business days prior to the next scheduled payment date. You can contact either ShannonFindley at (630)718-2102 or Tom Boler at (630)718-2100.22

Tuition – Non Sufficient Funds/Returned Payment, Convenience & Late FeesFACTS will assess a $30 “Non Sufficient Funds / Returned Payment” fee if a payment attempt fails.A $30 fee will be assessed for each failed attempt. There will be three (3) attempts per payment.FACTS will assess a 2.5% convenience fee for each tuition payment made either by MasterCard,Discover or American Express.FACTS will assess a $30 late payment fee when the one-time annual tuition payment is notreceived on either July 5 th or July 15 th .Tuition - Delinquent Tuition Families having a problem making their tuition payment on time may make a cordial andconfidential arrangement by calling the Parish Finance Office at (630)718-2100 and speaking withTom Boler, Saints Peter & Paul’s Parish Finance Manager, before the first of the month. If thissituation lasts longer than 3 months, the family must apply for financial aid at that time. Any family, who falls behind the equivalent of 3 monthly tuition payments without contacting theParish Finance Manager to make agreed upon arrangements, will not be permitted to have theirchild/children continue their education at Ss. Peter and Paul School. At the time in which a family is3 monthly tuition payments late, the family will be formally notified that their child/children will nolonger be permitted to attend Saints Peter and Paul School effective the following Monday. Theemphasis of this policy is to encourage communication from the family to the school, so thatmutually agreed upon payment arrangements can be made. In order to pre-register for the next school year: All tuition payments and late fees must be paid infull through and including the January tuition payment. In order to finish the school year in good standing and receive the final report card(s) of the year:All tuition payments and late fees must be paid in full through and including either the May 5 th or15 th payment or the registration for the next school year will be canceled. Records for students graduating or transferring will not be released until all outstanding tuition andfees are collected. No eighth grader is eligible to attend their class trip or receive their diploma unless tuition and feesare paid in full.ACTIVITY FEEThe Home & School Association initiated this $20 fee a number of years ago to eliminate some ofthe many minor requests for money that often occur. Among other things, the activity fee is designed toprovide room mothers with resources for parties at Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day.ATHLETIC FEEOur athletic program is funded entirely through participation fees and fundraisers. $85 allows onechild to participate in all sports/activities if paid by the deadline of the Back to School Packet. On or afterJune 1 st , the charge is $135. Two or more children from the same family may participate in allsports/activities for $125 if paid before June 1 or $175 on or after June 1 st . Included with "either" fee is aFamily Pass for all home athletic contests.BAND FEEStudents interested in this program are assessed an annual tuition fee of $260 per child in grades4-8 is due by June 1.23

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FEESAll students in grades 2-8 are afforded the opportunity of studying Spanish. Junior high enrollmentfor these classes is in lieu of Art. Since Spanish is an elective in grades 6, 7, & 8, students must be earningsatisfactory grades in other academic areas in order to remain with the program. All Jr. High students areassessed a fee of $200 which is due on June 1. No student is admitted after sixth grade unless they havehad prior course work in this area.FIRST RECONCILIATION AND FIRST COMMUNIONSecond graders receive the sacraments of Reconciliation in the fall and First Holy Communion in thespring. There is a $25 fee for each.CONFIRMATION RETREAT & FAITH EXPERIENCE – Gr. 8In preparation for receiving the sacrament of Confirmation our eighth grade students participate inan all day retreat. The fee for the retreat and Confirmation robe is $100.PROJECT EXPLORE FEEAll students in grades 3-5 have the opportunity to participate in special classes weekly whichemphasize higher level thinking skills. Due to the academic demands of our Jr. High curriculum, however,eligible students in grades 6-8 participate in this program before the regular school day begins.Jr. High students will qualify for participation in PROJECT EXPLORE as a result of their standardizedtest scores, daily class work, and teacher input. To help offset the cost of the materials they will be using, afee of $180 per year or $45.00 per quarter is assessed each pupil in the program.Students must maintain an overall B average in their regular coursework each quarter to remain inthe program.RE-REGISTRATION FEEStudents must be re-registered each year. This is done during Catholic Schools Week. Applicationsare then sent to the home parish to ensure that all families remain registered, practicing, and contributingparishioners.Approval from each pastor is needed before new or re-registrations can be accepted. Families mustalso have successfully met all of their financial obligations before being allowed to have their children reenrollfor the fall term.A registration fee of $100 per student will be collected with $70 of the fee being applied to thefirst month's tuition.YEARBOOK FEEEvery year, our eighth graders put out a yearbook comprised of activities participated in by theschool. The cost of the yearbook is $55.INSURANCEAccident Insurance (optional) for either school hours or full-day coverage is offered in August foryour consideration. Underwritten by the Markel Insurance Company, it also offers a 24-hour Dental AccidentCoverage. For those parents who have children in the athletic program, some kind of coverage is stronglyrecommended.24

FINANCIAL AID/ FACTSFamilies seeking a Catholic education for their children often incur unforeseen financial setbacks as a result ofjob loss, health issues, divorce, or even death of a spouse. Due to the generosity and foresight of alumni,former faculty, as well as past school parents, we have sixteen partial scholarships that have been endowedto assist families who would otherwise not be able to send their children to Saints Peter & Paul School for aCatholic education. Nearly $17,000 in financial aid is available annually via the:FR. JIM BURNETT SCHOLARSHIPPHIL AND LORAYNE FLYNN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPJUDGE LEROY L. RECHENMACHER SCHOLARSHIPDENNIS AND MARGARET FLYNN SCHOLARSHIPHOWARD AND VIRGINIA ESSER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPMARGARET AND DON P. BERKES MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPRAY HAYES MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPGARRY LEICHT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPFR. JIM LENNON SCHOLARSHIPHAROLD AND MARGARET MOSER SCHOLARSHIPJIM AND SANDY MOSER SCHOLARSHIPRITA POWERS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPLOUISE SPINNER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPPAUL PAVLISHIN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPTOM AND ALMIRA POWERS SCHOLARSHIPJOHN AND KATHLEEN SCHROEDER SCHOLARSHIPIn addition, the Golf Outing also provides approximately $90,000 in financial aid. Families who would like toapply for tuition assistance must contact our pastor, Fr. Milota. He, in turn, will direct them to complete anapplication that can be used by both the Joliet Diocese’s Catholic Education Foundation and our school. Toreceive aid from both sources, families must first file an application with FACTS, an objective source used todetermine the level of aid for which a family qualifies. You can access them at www.factsmgt.com or pickup an application at the parish office. The deadline for submitting an application isFebruary 28. Questions on any portion of the application should be directed to the FACTS office at 1-866-315-9262. For additional information regarding diocesan aid, you may reach Ms. Jane Lagger at eitherj.lagger@dioceseofjoliet.org or call her at (815) 834-4033.Finally, eighth graders planning on continuing their Catholic education in high school may apply each springfor the Mabel Grimes Scholarship that provides $1,000 annually for four years.25

ACADEMIC INFORMATIONA. Academic ClubsRecognizing that not all students are limited in their interests to athletics, our school offers a growing numberof extracurricular academic opportunities to our student body. Among them are the Science Olympiad (Gr.7-8), Tech Club, (Gr. 6), Math Club (Gr. 7 & 8), and Spanish Club (Gr. 6-8). We also offer a Chess Club,Spanish Ladders, and Young Rembrandt’s program for primary students after school.B. Catholic High School Test Review ClassAll of the area Catholic high schools require a placement examination in early January as part of theirregistration process. In an effort to help our eighth grade students realize their true potential on these tests,we offer a skills review class focusing on Verbal and Quantitative Skills, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary,and Language, as well as Math Concepts and Problem Solving. Depending on the calendar, these classes aregenerally offered on Saturdays or after school.C. Home - School Communications1. AIMSwebWe have replaced DIBELS with AIMSweb as a benchmark and progress monitoring systemfor all of our students. It is based on direct, frequent and continuous student assessment of Mathand Reading. The results are reported to students, parents, teachers and administrators via a webbaseddata management and reporting system to determine response to intervention.The AIMSweb system components provide one comprehensive progress monitoring and RTISolution.1. Benchmark – Assess all students three times per year for universal screening (earlyidentification), general education progress monitoring, and AYP accountability.2. Strategic Monitor – Monitor at-risk students monthly and evaluate the effectiveness ofinstructional changes.3. Progress Monitor – Write individualized annual goals and monitor more frequently for those whoneed intensive instructional services.2. Orientation NightsEarly each school year, three separate Orientation Nights are scheduled whereparents are invited to learn about current school goals, visit the classrooms, meet each oftheir children's teachers, view the textbooks, learn what new material will be introduced,and listen to the particular requirements of each staff member. These dates are on thecalendar and E-Invitations will be online the Thursday prior to each session.3. Study Habit and Homework FormCommonly referred to as ACADEMICS, this is a tool that is designed to notifyparents when their child's daily academic work is unsatisfactory. It is used to identify trendsin student performance such as incomplete or missing work, sloppy written work,inattentiveness, missing supplies, poor study habits, etc. This form indicates the teacherfeels the child is not working up to potential and that a continuation will lead to lowergrades and poor achievement unless corrected. To underscore the importance of beingadequately prepared for school, students who receive four of these forms throughout theschool year will receive an Academic Detention. Consequences for this infraction will be tospend one hour after school on the following Wednesday or attendance at Saturday School26

should a second detention be received. To help the fourth graders adjust to having multipleteachers, their infractions will not begin to accumulate until the second semester.4. Coffees with PrincipalThis is a forum to further enhance the dialogue and rapport between home andschool. During the first semester, parents will be invited to discuss the school’s Iowa Test ofBasic Skills test scores, school goals, long range planning, Satisfaction Survey results,development, or areas of our curriculum. In the second semester, we will meet by gradelevel to discuss common concerns. Because of the many special activities that surround theeighth grade class, we will meet with the parents in September and early March.5. Curriculum GuidesWe follow the curriculum guidelines of the Diocese of Joliet which are equal, orsuperior, to the guidelines developed by the state of Illinois. Parents can learn about thebasic expectations of each grade level by reviewing the Curriculum Guides which areavailable on our web page.6. Discipline FormsDepending on the nature of the offense a student misbehaving will be issued eithera Demerit or Detention (Grades 3-8) or a Sad News Note* (Grades K-2). Parents arerequired to sign this form indicating their awareness of the situation and return it to theissuing teacher. Signed by the parent, or not however, the discipline forms issued by theschool are still enforced. * Severe violations may warrant a detention or even a suspension.7. Open House – KindergartenOn October 22, we will hold an Open House designed primarily for parish familieswhose oldest child will be eligible for kindergarten in the next several years. They will beable to tour the school, hear from the principal, and meet with our kindergarten teachersMrs. Domagola, Mrs. LaScala, and Mrs. Bartley as well as our teacher aides Mrs. Lenert, Mrs.Corrigan, and Mrs. Larson. To help answer questions, other members of our primary staffwill also be present. Registration materials will also be distributed and due back in ourschool office by November 1, along with a $100 processing fee.During Catholic Schools Week, we will hold another Open House for all currentparents, parishioners, and community members are invited to tour the buildings and visitclassrooms. Registrations for next year’s kindergarten will also be accepted from thoseunable to attend the fall Open House.8. Progress ReportsStudents in grades 5-8 have their major subject grades posted online weekly eachThursday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. beginning with the second week of each marking period.To avoid unnecessary academic pressure, parents of students in grade 4 only receive thisweekly information as of January. Mid-term progress reports are issued to third grade eachquarter and to the fourth grade for the first semester. Eligibility checks are made at themid-point of the marking period for grades 5-8 with students with a grade of D- or lowerbeing rendered ineligible for one week. If the deficiency is not corrected in that time-frame,however, that child will become ineligible for the next week, at which time an eligibility formwill be issued again. The principal will contact the athletic director so he can make thecoaches aware of the situation.Because work submitted, papers turned in, and tests taken during the last week ofa marking period cannot be reflected on that week’s online progress report, the teachers willmake every effort to call parents if poor performance in these areas would dramaticallyimpact the previous week’s grade.27

The exceptions to our eligibility policy are students who qualify for Project Discover.Those students are assessed on effort and must not have a NEEDS TO IMPROVE in order tokeep their eligibility intact.9. Feedback ForumParental input is periodically solicited through a Feedback Forum column in thePrincipal’s E-Newsletter or via an electronic survey. Parents can voice their questions,comments and reactions to specific issues raised by the school administration. Suggestionsare also sought annually as to potential school goals.10. Satisfaction SurveyEach February, we provide an online opportunity for parents to affirm the goodthings the school is doing and also to point out areas that need to be addressed andimproved upon. The results also help us to set School Goals.11. SCHOLARSSCHOLARS is a program created to provide homework assistance for students whohave trouble getting organized and understanding assignments. It is offered after schoolfour days a week for students in grades 4-8. There is no charge for this service.12. School to Home Communication via Thursday E-EnvelopeThursday is the primary day of the week when parents will receive currentinformation by going to our website and linking to the Thursday E- Envelope. While we tryto hold fast to this expectation, on rare occasions there is the need to send thingsintermittently. Therefore, we hope that you have the site web address -http://www.sspeterandpaulschool.com/Thursenv.html on your list of “favorites” and check itregularly.13. Newslettersa. Principal’s Monthly Electronic NewslettersThese are written monthly, generally the third Thursday of the month, are emaileddirectly to our parents and are also available on our school website athttp://www.sspeterandpaulschool.com/Thursenv.html. In addition to a revisedcalendar, you will find important data about upcoming events, information aboutmatters being discussed by the School Board, and recognition of studentaccomplishments. NOTE: You will need to be logged into Edline to view thisnewsletter.b. THE ‘e’ BLUE AND GOLDAs a major part of our development efforts we try to maintain an active associationwith our alumni. To keep our 4,995 graduates informed of our various activities wehope to e-mail an electronic newsletter, THE ‘e ’BLUE AND GOLD, once eachquarter.Our goal is not only to keep everyone abreast of the successes of the men andwomen who received their religious and academic foundation at Ss. Peter and Paul,but to inform the alumni about the quality Catholic education still being offered attheir alma mater.Alumni are invited back each spring in late May to serve as speakers for our Jr. HighCareer Day program.14. This Week At SSPPEach Sunday evening a more current and detailed listing of the week’s upcomingevents will be blasted to the school parents.28

15. Parental ConcernsD. Field TripsIt is inevitable that situations will occasionally arise whereby a parent will beconfused as to the circumstances surrounding a student grade or disciplinary actiontaken by a teacher. As truthful as students are likely to be about these matters,their version of the events may not always reflect the circumstances which only theteacher can attest to.Therefore, we ask that you follow the following process when you seek more clarityon something which you may question or dispute. First, contact the teacher ratherthan the principal as the latter is likely not aware of the situation and would have tothus communicate with the teacher to become informed. If you are not satisfiedwith the explanation you receive from the teacher, then that would be the time tocontact the principal. Should you still not be comfortable with the resolution, youthen have the recourse to ask for the matter to be brought to the attention of theSchool Board.Field trips are an extension of the classroom and are designed to broaden the students’ learningthrough exposure to various educational, historical, social, or cultural events. For safety concerns, allchildren will remain in uniform as it makes them more identifiable to chaperones. The only exception wouldbe certain trips such as to the zoo or Blackberry Farm. Also, parent chaperones are required to have cellphones so all adults can remain in communication with the teachers should an emergency arise.All students who are in good standing with the discipline code are expected to participate.E. Foreign Language ProgramAll students are introduced to Spanish as a second language in second grade for 20 minutes once aweek. This introduction continues through the third grade. In fourth and fifth grade, students receive 45minutes of weekly instruction. Beginning in fifth grade, the students will receive an effort and achievementgrade at the end of the second and fourth quarters. A special after-school program called Spanish Ladders isavailable to students after school in kindergarten through second grade.Beginning in sixth grade, Spanish becomes an elective. From sixth through eighth grade, studentsare offered the opportunity to continue their Spanish studies. Students will take Spanish class 3 days perweek, and on the remaining days they will receive instruction in Technology, P.E., Music, or Art.Because of the academic requirements of this class, not all students are eligible to continue afterfifth grade and must be in good academic standing in the core curriculum.A fee of $200 is charged for those continuing in the program beyond fifth grade. Due to schedulingdifficulties, students enrolled in the foreign language program in the Jr. High may not drop the class after fiveschool days.1. Course DescriptionSpanish is an elective academic program with Honor Roll status for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.Grades are weighted at 60%. All conversational, written and reading skills will be included in thestudent's academic grade. Student's attitude, effort, and cooperation are an important factor in astudent's academic achievement.29

2. Goalsa. To acquire comprehension, speaking, reading, writing skills that can be used in everydaysituations in Spanish.b. To help the students discover and develop a positive attitude toward Spanish speaking peopleand their cultures.c. To stress Christian values toward the Spanish speaking people.d. To ensure that students are prepared for Spanish at the high school level.3. RegistrationRegistration in the foreign language program beyond fifth grade is an elective and limited to42 students per grade due to the conversational approach of instruction. Applicants must haveaveraged a B or better in fifth grade Reading, Language Arts, and Spanish to be eligible withoutreceiving assistance from Project Discover teachers.Students can expect homework two to three days a week and tests at the end of chaptersand units. All Jr. High students will work with a freshman text they will complete by the end ofeighth grade.Students cannot re-enter Spanish at a later grade once they have dropped the class. Also,because of the continuity required in the program, new students may not enter the program aftersixth grade.F. Graduation RequirementsThe following criteria must be met for a student to receive a diploma from Saints Peter & Paul Schoolas opposed to a certificate of attendance. A candidate for graduation must indicate he/she is working up tohis/her ability as specified:A child must pass each subject (Religion, Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts)with a cumulative average of D in each subject area. This also includes Spanish, Spelling, Vocabulary,Physical Education, Music, Art, and Computers.In addition, eighth graders are required to perform 25 hours of community service as outlined by ourreligion coordinator and be in compliance with school attendance requirements.Students failing to meet our standards are still allowed by the local high schools to matriculate into9th grade; however, they will be issued a certificate of attendance and not a diploma. Students receiving acertificate of attendance may later receive a diploma upon the successful completion of a summer schoolclass.30

G. HomeworkWith the vast amount of knowledge, concepts, and skills that young people are expected to master,homework is a contributing factor to the learning process. It is designed to supplement, complement, andreinforce classroom teaching and learning. It would be rare not to at least have a reading assignment.Because students have different learning styles, as a guideline, your child can expect the followinghomework on a daily basis:Gr. K-2 15 minutes3 30 minutes4 45 minutes5 60 minutes6 105 minutes7 120 minutes8 140 minutesAlthough there is little formal homework in first grade, and generally only Math in second grade, it isexpected that spelling words, math home links, and extra practice recommended by the teacher be studiedas needed. Our teachers also strongly recommend 15 minutes of silent reading daily when possible.Oftentimes, the back-to-school adjustments in August may find a child exceeding the suggestedlimits. If this pattern continues with regularity after the first two weeks of school, please notify thehomeroom teacher. While we feel homework has value, we want the children to have opportunities forfamily and other non-academic activities.Although the teachers of students in grades 4-8 do not share a common planning period, they willmeet weekly to ensure that the homework guidelines are being adhered to and to also coordinate test dateselectronically in order to avoid an excessive amount of assessments on the same day.While assigning homework over weekends, holidays, and vacations is not encouraged, it is sometimeimpossible to avoid. As a boon to families, no homework weekends are designated for the following times:Thanksgiving Christmas holidays 8 th grade tripSchool PlaySpring vacationOrientation Night will also be a no homework night for students in K-5. There is also nohomework assigned the night of the Golf Outing, Monday, September 12.H. Honor RollNext to religious training, academic achievement is the single most important function of our school.Although each child is singularly blessed by God with individual learning capabilities, it is the job of everyteacher to recognize where a student is academically and to see that each child reaches the full measure ofhis or her potential.1. Our Honor Roll acknowledges the academic achievements of our Jr. High students and is based onthe following criteria:Religion - 100%Reading - 100%Mathematics - 100%Science - 100%31

Social Studies - 100%Language Arts - 80%Vocabulary - 20%Spanish - 60%Computer - 20%2. Gym, Music, Art, and Project Explore will not be included in the calculation. A student will beineligible for First Honors, however, regardless of GPA, unless he receives achievement grades of at least a Cin these areas.3. No student will be eligible for either First or Second Honors if any of his/her grades are less thana C in any of the six major curriculum areas or Spanish, if applicable. A student with a C- in Spelling orVocabulary, Gym, Music, Art, Project Explore, and Computer class disqualifies a student from First Honorsregardless of GPA. A grade of D or less in these special subjects disqualifies a student from all honorsregardless of GPA.4. There are four effort grades for students in 3 rd through 8 th grade, one of which is leaving thereport card effort box blank. Most children are in this category which means the effort is appropriate withhis/her child’s abilities. O indicates outstanding effort; T means the child is trending down and is not workingto the best of his/her abilities; and an X means that a poor effort has impacted the final grade. Studentswith an X on the report card in any graded subject will be ineligible for the Honor Roll.5. Students who take Art and Music will only receive a report card grade at the end of the semesterdue to the infrequent number of times these classes meet during each quarter.6. First Honors: Based on an average of 3.5 to 4.0.7. Second Honors: Based on an average of 3.05 to 3.49.A+ = 4.3 A+ = 100%A = 4.0 A = 99-96 OutstandingA- = 3.7 A- = 95-93B+ = 3.3 B+ = 92-91B = 3.0 B = 90-88 Very GoodB- = 2.7 B- = 87-85C+ = 2.3 C+ = 84-83C = 2.0 C = 82-79 GoodC- = 1.7 C- = 78-77D+ = 1.3 D+ = 76-75D = 1.0 D = 74-72 Improvement NeededD- = 0.7 D- = 71-70F = 0 F = 69-0 Little or No ProgressI. Incomplete, Late and Missing Assignments:In order to insure a student’s steady academic progress, and as part of fostering responsibility,all assigned homework must be completed. If a student receives a HOMEWORK/STUDY HABITnotification as a result of missing or incomplete homework, the form is to be signed and returned to theissuing teacher with the completed homework assignment. Failure to do so may result in the issuance ofa demerit.Students are responsible for making up and completing all assigned work and tests given whilethey are absent. Students returning after being absent for an EXCUSED reason will be given anadditional number of days to make up homework or take missing tests, equal to the number of days they32

were absent. In case of extended absence (generally longer than three days), the teacher has thediscretion to assign an alternate test or form of homework to assure the student’s progress.In order to receive full credit, work must be handed in on the day it is due. Homework isconsidered late if not given to the assigning teacher before the beginning of the next class period thatday. Thus, a student who left an assignment in an outside locker during a third period Math class, forexample, may retrieve it at the end of that class and turn it in before the beginning of next class(Readingfor example) without any penalty. Afterwards, it is considered late. After Labor Day, such omissions willalso result in the issuance of a Homework/Study Habit form so the parents can be apprised of thesituation.After the date assignments are due (and allowing for any absence), missing or incomplete workwill be treated as late and up to ten points will be taken off for every day the assignment is overdue, untila maximum of forty points is lost. Teachers will also issue a Homework/Study Habit Form to keepparents informed, and attempt to email parents, to increase the likelihood of the assignment being turnedin the next day prior to the assessment of additional penalties. Should such intervention fail to producethe desired result, we will have our counselor intervene on her next work day. If the problem continuesto persist, the student will also be required to attend our SCHOLARS program to receive neededassistance.Students absent for UNEXCUSED reasons for ONE DAY ONLY must turn in missing homework andtake any missing tests ON THE DAY THE STUDENT RETURNS TO SCHOOL.For a longer period of any unexcused absence, any homework assigned PRIOR to the absencewhich is due during the period of absence will be due on the day of the student’s return to school. Workassigned during the period of absence is due, and any tests given while absent will be given, by the endof the second day after the student returns to school.Students absent for excused reasons at the end of a marking period who have missing homeworkor tests will receive an “incomplete” grade until the missing work is completed.J. Library / Learning Resource CenterA wide variety of age-appropriate books are available for student use in our elementary library.While our Jr. High learning center is also stocked with books, it is generally not the main source of readingmaterials for most of our upper classmen. Rather, our sixth, seventh, and eighth graders use this room morefor research and group projects.Any student responsible for damaged books or a lost book will be expected to pay the replacementcost. Students with overdue books, overdue fines, or overdue pink slips will temporarily be unable to checkout additional library materials. Privileges will be reinstated after the student has resolved his/her libraryissues. Students with overdue books, overdue fines and/or overdue pink slips who repeatedly ignore weeklypast due reminders (3 notes for the same book or fine) will be issued a PINK SLIP. Pink slips must bepromptly returned with a parent's signature. Additional pink slips are issued for unsigned/unreturned pinkslips. (See p. 61)K. Math & Language Arts Small Groups Lit Plus & Writer’s WorkshopTo assist with Math and Language Arts instruction in grades 4-8 we have additional staff memberswho work with the regular classroom teacher. This allows students to be grouped according to ability andalso provides for a smaller class size in these two important subjects.Seventh and eighth grade students are placed in Math, Language Arts (Writer’s Workshop), Reading(Literature Plus) groups as a result of their daily classroom performance as evidenced by grades on their fourreport cards, Iowa Basic test results, and a year-end comprehension test.33

L. Project DiscoverThe Project Discover program offers assistance to students who may be experiencing academicdifficulty. The Project Discover staff works closely with classroom teachers to help students function to theirfull potential in the classroom.To qualify for service, the student must require additional support in order to achieve success in theclassroom. The need is determined by evaluating achievement test scores, report card grades, and teacherrecommendations. It is not unusual for children to receive some of this assistance at some point throughoutthe year, especially students in grades K-5. Parents will be contacted by either the homeroom teacher or ourStudent Services Coordinator, Mrs. Pat Guess, when a serious problem is uncovered.Should Mrs. Guess, the classroom teachers, or parents feel the Project Discover intervention is notallowing the child to make appropriate academic gains, it may be necessary to take the next step anddetermine whether the child’s progress is being impacted by a learning disability. This request can surfacefrom either school personnel or the child’s parents. However, Mrs. Guess is the only one authorized toinitiate and coordinate the necessary paperwork with D. 203 for any child whom either the teacher or parentfeels is being impacted by a learning disability or speech / language difficulties.* Testing of students suspected of a learning disability is administered by District 203 regardless if thefamily resides in District 204. District 203 is responsible for providing assistance and recommendationsfor our students regardless if the school family lives outside of District 203 boundaries. Parents in need ofspeech assistance are able to contract with Mrs. Heraty to have those services offered on site.M. Project ExploreProject Explore, in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, is a course of study with a heavy emphasison Science of intended for those students whose academic abilities and study habits are such that they areable to master their required core subjects, and still have the energy, time, and willingness to go beyond.This program is designed to further students in becoming individuals who are broad-minded, mentally agile,inquisitive, creative, analytical, and open to taking academic risks.The focus of activities, over the span of the Jr. High years, will be on development of academicindependence, creative talents, higher order thinking skills, problem solving techniques, advancedvocabulary, and oral presentation. These skills will be developed in ways that will have broad application tothe challenges to be faced by students expecting to excel in high school. Students in this program areevaluated annually. To remain eligible for the program, they must attend regularly, perform to their ability,and fit in socially with their Project Explore classmates.Eligibility for the Jr. High program is based on each child's cognitive abilities, tests, achievementscores, and teacher recommendation. Each spring, Mr. Duker will review standardized tests and studentannually to determine eligibility for this program. He uses a matrix that employs the results of the IowaBasic testing, academic performance during each quarter, and teacher input to determine if they are eligibleto participate the following September. Jr. High students take part in Project Explore prior to the beginningof the school day at 7:00 A.M. twice a week. This has proven to be a successful alternative to having thechildren being pulled out of class.An exploratory program of a similar nature is offered to all students in grades 3-5. It is designed toprovide opportunities for independent learning, self-initiated projects, experimentation, creativity, higher levelthinking skills and original work.To cover supplies and materials, an additional fee is assessed in the upper grades. For the 2012-2013 school year it will be $180.00.34

N. Promotional RequirementsAs we do not allow social promotion, the following criteria must be met in order for a student to bepromoted to the next grade indicating he/she is working up to his/her ability as specified:A child must pass each subject (Religion, Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts)with a cumulative average of D in each subject area. This also includes Spanish, Spelling, Vocabulary,Physical Education, Music, Art, and Computers.In addition, students in each grade level must fulfill an annual service requirement as listed on p. 5of this book, and comply with school attendance requirements.Any child failing to meet these criteria will not be allowed to re-enter the school in the fall unlessthey receive some form of summer remediation and pass a proficiency exam in August. In the case ofservice requirements, they may also be completed in the summer.O. R.E.A.L. TimeMany educational advocacy groups have recognized the many benefits that professional learningcommunities can provide to both students and staff. R.E.A.L. Time is our adaptation of that concept. It isan acronym standing for Reaching, Enriching, Accelerating, and Learning. One of the basic premises ofa professional learning community is that teachers collaborate at grade as well as subject levels aboutways to effectively help students achieve academically. This includes clarifying what students areexpected to learn and making certain that students are provided extra time and support in their quest forthis academic achievement at all levels, those who have not mastered a concept as well as those whohave. While teachers and staff at Ss. Peter and Paul already collaborate, R.E.A. L. Time is an attempt tointensify and improve upon those efforts.After numerous discussions by a team of our teachers, critical reading skills had been chosen asthe first area of focus for the third and fourth grade students when we piloted this concept last spring.This year we will expand the program to include fifth graders and we will also alternate between Readingand Math. Students are divided into four different groups according to their performance on the IowaTest of Basic Skills and CogAT and will meet twice per week for thirty minutes. Each group will focus oncritical reading skills – getting the main idea, organizing ideas, drawing conclusions, making inferences,and summarizing/note taking. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, a pre- and post-testwill be administered to measure growth in the area of critical thinking skills.It is the goal of this program to provide a means to reach all learners in the most efficientmanner. Utilizing this model, every student’s needs’ will be addressed without needing to removestudents from their valuable core class time. R.E.A.L. Time provides an opportunity for teachers tore-teach and extend academic concepts so that all students have a greater opportunity for success.P. RecognitionCHRISTIAN WITNESS AWARDS - When a teacher observes a child in grades 1-5 performing an actof charity, being kind to fellow students and teachers, or exemplifying high standards of Christian behavior,the teacher requests the office to issue a GOOD SAMARITAN award to the child. In the Jr. High, studentsare presented with CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION certificates whenever they display unsolicited acts of kindnessand service toward their teachers or peers.These are announced every Friday afternoon with the recipients receiving a certificate reflecting thepositive manner in which they interact with their peers and teachers. The nominations are doneanonymously to avoid copycat behavior which is not genuine and done only to receive this award.35

STUDENT OF THE WEEK is limited to one 6th, 7th, and 8th grader each week. Criteria for thisaward is broadened to also include a student's accomplishments academically (achievement and/or effort)and in the field of extracurriculars.HONORS ASSEMBLY - On the date report cards are issued during the first three marking periods,junior high students are recognized for their achievements and accomplishments in academics, social growth,and extracurriculars at an afternoon Honors AssemblyCITIZENSHIP AWARDS - These are presented in the junior high at each quarter's Honors Assemblyto students who have completed the entire marking period without a demerit.Other examples of positive reinforcement include:8 TH GRADE RECOGNITION ASSEMBLY - Held during the week of graduation, it spotlights all of theaccomplishments of our eighth graders in the field of service, extracurricular activities, and academics. Itincludes the following honors and concludes with the announcement of school, parish, and communityawards recipients.Meghan McDonagh ‘77 Award - Presented in honor of a deceased alumna who participated in everytheatrical production during her years at Saints Peter & Paul. The recipient(s) is selected by theparent producers of the school play.Janice McCarron “You’ve Got Style” Award – Presented in honor of our former Music teacher whodirected numerous school plays for nearly two decades.John Philip Sousa Award - Presented by our band director to an eighth grade student who is diligentin practice, faithful in attendance, and who consistently strives to reach their full potential.Band Director’s Award - Presented by our band director to an eighth grader who exhibits adedication to music and who exhibits leadership with other students.Louis Armstrong Jazz Award – Presented by our band director to an eighth grader who shows greatpromise in our Jazz Band.Blue & Gold & Trojan Awards - These awards are presented to individuals from each athletic teamwhose effort, determination, dedication, and improvement were vital to their squad. The Blue andGold is presented to the Most Valuable Player and the Trojan to the Most Improved.Presidential Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence - Recognizes graduation candidates whohave averaged a 3.5 average throughout all six semesters of Jr. High.Presidential Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement - Acknowledges students with excellentschool records who have amassed a 3.0 academic average along with an effort average of G/VGthroughout all six semesters of Jr. High.Academic Awards – are presented at the eighth grade Recognition Assembly to members of thegraduating class who have a cumulative 95 or better average throughout eighth grade in any of theacademic disciplines. For Music, Art, Physical Education, and Technology, four awards each aregiven out.Mike Karos ‘90 Memorial Sportsmanship Award – is presented in honor of a deceased alumnusannually to one eighth grade boy and girl who best exemplify effort, attitude, respect for teammates,coaches, and officials, and sportsmanlike conduct during their participation in school athletics.36

Christianity in Action Award - presented to eighth graders who accumulate one hundred or morehours of volunteer time on behalf of school, parish, or community service projects. These arestudents who go well beyond the normal expectations or graduation requirement.Romeo Blanchette Honor Society – Named after a former bishop of our diocese who was a strongadvocate of Catholic education during the thirteen years he served our diocese. Those whoconsistently exhibit high standards of leadership, integrity, service, responsibility, and scholarship areinducted into this Honor Society.To be nominated, a member of the graduating class must meet the following criteria as wellas submit two letters of recommendation from non-school personnel by May 1.ACADEMICS -must have at least a 2.75 cumulative average and average a grade of C or better inall subjects for all four quarters and not receive an Academic Detention.CITIZENSHIP - must go through the year without receiving a behavior detention or a uniform codeviolation demerit (3 UCV’s), and must earn citizenship at least two quarters.SERVICE -ACTIVITIES -must volunteer at least 45 hours of service in activities determined by the religionteacher.must be involved in a combination of three in-school or after-school activities.It is from the members of the Romeo Blanchette Honor Society, that the school selects therecipients for the school, parish, and community awards a member of the graduating class mayreceive, such as the Pastor’s, Principal’s, VFW, American Legion, Rotary Club, and Chris SchmittMemorial Awards.VFW - is presented to one boy and one girl from each graduating class who best displays the traitsof citizenship, scholarship, and attendance.American Legion - is presented to the one eighth grade boy and girl who represent the qualities ofcourage, honor, leadership, patriotism, scholarship, and service.Rotary Club – is presented to one eighth grade boy and girl who best demonstrate the ideals oftruth, fairness, goodwill, friendship, and service.Principal’s Award – presented to two graduates who demonstrate a love of the school, a compassionfor children of all ages, and a desire to help the school continue to improve.Pastor’s Award - is presented to two graduates who exhibit a deep respect for Christian ideals, andwho demonstrate great service to the school, parish, and community.Chris Schmitt Memorial Award - is named in honor of a former student who died from cancer in 1976at the age of 12. This is the most prestigious award a graduate from Saints Peter & Paul canreceive. This award combines the qualities listed for the American Legion and adds a Christiandimension of service and respect for self and others.In Nomine Meo Award – presented at a near end of the year school liturgy to a father and motherwho worked tirelessly on the school’s behalf during the years their children were students atSaints Peter & Paul School37

Q. Report Cards and Parent-Teacher ConferencesIn conjunction with diocesan regulations, each student's academic report is issued by the principal,pastor, and parish priests four times a year.Conferences are scheduled in early November following the distribution of the first report card.Parents use a software program that allows them to register online for all of their conferences. Conferencesare ten minutes in length and parents may meet with as many teachers as they like. As a matter ofconvenience, as well as helping teachers and parents maintain their conference schedule, all sessions will beheld in Zuker Hall (lower level of the Jr. High building.) In addition, we will have another opportunityfollowing distribution of second quarter grades in January for parents of kindergarten and first gradestudents to also meet with their child’s teacher.While formal conferences are not scheduled after November, our teachers are available to meet withany family where major concerns and questions arise, be they academic or social.The Joliet Diocese has been using the combined conference and report card method of reporting toparents. The teacher generally uses the following standards as guidelines in evaluating a student in theareas of achievement and effort:a. ability of the studentb. participationc. daily class and home assignmentsd. effort to improveThe parents are encouraged to confer with the teacher more often when the child displays a lack ofinterest in his work or a change of attitude toward school. It is important to remember that your child is anindividual and the information should not be compared with any other child's report card; this is especiallytrue for children in the same family.The marks on character traits are highly important for they show how your child is learning to getalong with others and his/her development as a responsible individual.R. School Supplies/School StoreChildren should be supplied with the necessary items on the first day of school. To help parentsavoid the hassle of driving all over town to buy the necessary supplies at sale prices, our Home & SchoolAssociation provides this service for you. Order forms are placed online each spring.Students who lose or damage equipment or supplies that are the property of the school will berequired to pay for the cost of replacement.Each Thursday during the first semester, beginning September 13, and twice a month beginning inJanuary, our School Store is set up in Zuker Hall during the lunch hour for students who need to purchaseadditional school supplies like pencils, rulers, pens, and assignment notebooks.S. Standardized Testing ProgramThe Iowa Test of Basic Skills is the standardized testing program for all diocesan schools. Allstudents in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8 are tested annually in the last week of September and the first week ofOctober to help us assess student growth, as well as the effectiveness of our curriculum. Batteries of testsare also administered in second grade. Results are mailed home in a self-addressed stamped envelope.Results can be discussed at our November parent-teacher conferences or at a later date if moreconvenient. An analysis of school results on these standardized tests is presented to the School Board inJanuary and to the school families at a special coffee in February.38

T. Study HabitsOne of the most important objectives of education is to teach a child how to study. The followingare a few questions to help a child determine how effective his/her study habits are:1. Do you have a definite place to study in your home away from distractions?2. Do you outline the chapter before reading it? Have you identified new vocabulary?3. Do you take good notes in class?4. Do you have a definite time for study every day?5. Do you design a study program that places a priority on your schoolwork as opposed to extracurricularactivities?6. Do you create a Study Guide with a list of questions for things you feel will be assessed?7. Do you have good lighting and ventilation in the room in which you study?8. Do you turn off the radio, TV, phone, I-pod, and computer while studying?9. Do you review class work on a regular basis?10. Do you use an assignment notebook daily?11. Do you have your parents quiz you before tests?12. Do you break down long-range assignments into manageable sections and complete them in atimely fashion?13. Do you have access to reference materials in the room in which you study?14. Do you skim assignments before reading them thoroughly?U. TechnologyComputer education is an integral part of our curriculum, as is our desire to integrate itseamlessly into all academic disciplines. Through the efforts of our School Board, Home & SchoolAssociation, and Development Board, we have a PC lab in each building, which together house 70 PC’s.In addition, all classrooms and LRCs are equipped with Internet accessible computers. Projection devices,interactive whiteboards (SMARTBoards), digital visual presenters (ELMO) and streaming video capabilitiesare also accessible to classrooms, LRCs and labs. Additionally, in an effort to infuse technology moredirectly into the curriculum, students and teachers use our portable laptop lab on a rotating basis. Thisallows instant access to word processing for note-taking, composition and research; spreadsheets torecord and chart data; presentation and desktop publishing software to create dynamic projects; andwireless Internet access for research, virtual field trips, inquiry-based projects, and curriculumreinforcement.Beginning in kindergarten, our students are introduced to a sequential program that is designedto make our student body computer literate and comfortable with the various uses of computers astechnological tools. Starting with fourth grade, the children are graded; and in the Jr. High, this grade iscalculated with all others to determine Honor Roll status.Our technology curriculum exposes the students to keyboarding, word processing, graphics,multimedia development, digital imagery, spreadsheets, databases, desktop publishing, graphing, mapand timeline work, electronic sourcing for research and web page development. Students are alsoexposed to online test-taking and electronic skill-building. Our 8th grade students complete a two-weekonline course that is both synchronous and asynchronous, and affords them the opportunity toexperience web-based learning. This program is coordinated with classroom teachers to enhance thecurriculum and create an authentic learning environment. All Internet usage is both filtered and teachersupervised.Each parent must sign the Joliet Diocese’s Student Agreement for Internet Access and RelatedTechnology Use annually. If a parent elects not to sign this form, their child(ren) cannot participate inany Internet related lessons or projects. Instead they will be sent to the library for a study hall.39

Parents are also provided with a PERMISSION TO USE PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE STUDENTIMAGES AND WORK form that allows the school to publish a child’s personally identifiable image andwork in places and via electronic, video, auditory, print, and other media accessible by the public(including SSPP’s Internet and print publications.) This form does not have to be returned unless youchoose to have your child “opt out” of this opportunity.A copy of this year’s Technology Goals can be found online.U. TextbooksTextbooks are expensive, rented, and expected to last six years. To protect the substantialinvestment you make each year in textbooks, please make sure that the books are properly covered andlabeled with your child’s name. Any books which are damaged in any way must be replaced at the expenseof the one causing the damage, or an appropriate fine will be imposed. Students will not be issued a finalreport card until all books (library and text) are returned or paid for.40

When a child returns to school, a dated excuse written and signed by a parent or guardian, explaining thecause for the child's absence, is required for class re-admittance and is presented to the child's homeroomteacher. Students are responsible for work missed due to any absence. (See policy on Incompletes, Late andMissing Assignments on p. 32.Every child who is well enough to be in school is expected to play outdoors at recess time. The recess is partof the whole school program. It is essential to the physical, social, and mental well-being of each child to beout in the fresh air with classmates. During inclement weather, or on very cold winter days, all pupils remainindoors. Whenever a child is absent, however, they are not allowed to participate in any extracurricularactivities that day. (A child absent on a Friday, however, is eligible to play on Saturday or Sunday). Thiswould include athletic practices and games, school dances, band concerts, and even scouting activities ortrips.Any place where children gather on a regular basis can become a breeding ground for the spread of germs.Although many communicable childhood diseases cannot be avoided, our teachers stress the importance ofhand washing after using the washrooms and the avoidance of sharing combs and hats. Parents will benotified immediately whenever a case of lice or chicken pox breaks out in the class. We also ask parents tohave the courtesy to inform the school when they discover a case of lice in their home. That information willbe sent anonymously to the homes of all classmates.In each child's best interest, and to prevent the spread of contagious diseases, he/she must be kept at homeif they show any symptoms suggestive of acute communicable diseases such as:a) sore throat b) running nose c) cough d) rash or eruptionse) nausea & vomiting f) fever g) inflamed or discharging eye h) diarrheaPrior to returning to school, children must by symptom free for twenty-four hours.B. All-Day KindergartenWe have maintained a full-day kindergarten since 2006-07. The added hours feature enrichmentactivities as opposed to an acceleration of the traditional half-day fare. The added time is devoted toactivities such as Math or Reading centers, journal writing, fine motor activities, problem solving, Scienceexploration, story time, play time, and added time in gym, art class, and technology.Families who do not want their children in the full-day program may have them dismissed at11:30. These children will, however, be placed in a full-day classroom.C. Appointments (medical)Please avoid making doctor appointments during school hours. If it is absolutely necessary, notifythe school office by note at least one day ahead of the appointment. Children who are late for school due toan early morning doctor's appointment will be marked tardy. Parents are asked not to schedule routinemedical and dental appointments during school hours.D. Dropping Off and Picking Up Children From SchoolParking for our church, Ministry Center, and school is very limited. We continually review ourprocedures for children being dropped off in the morning (via car and bus) as well as being picked up atdismissal.Morning Drop Off:Parents of elementary students are asked to use the drop off lane in front of the elementary buildingon Ellsworth St. There members of our student body, along with Mr. Partapilo, the head of ourmaintenance department, will open the doors and greet them.42

Afternoon Pick-Up:Parents who are driving their children are to park in the lot south of the elementary building. Thosewhose children are old enough to walk to the car are to line-up in the circle that surrounds theexterior of the lot. We ask that you please do not ask your child(ren) to walk out with the busers tomeet you when you are picking them up as it creates a hazardous situation.Patrols are on duty to facilitate student safety and a smooth traffic flow in the morning and afternoon. Weexpect all parents to respect the orange vested student patrol leaders and the teachers we have assigned tothe elementary lot for PM dismissal.To allow the D.203 buses to emerge safely into traffic, and to make sure that students are not placed inharms way, we ask that parents refrain from parking along either side of Ellsworth Street along the Jr. Highbuilding or parking lot after 12:15 p.m. Drivers are also not allowed to drop off or pick up students in theparking lot on the east side of the Jr. High near the rectory.E. Emergency CardsIn case of emergency, parents are contacted first. Therefore, providing information about work numbers,cell phones, pager numbers, etc. is extremely vital. If a parent cannot be contacted, however, then a persondesignated by the parent on the child's emergency card will be contacted. Parents have the responsibility tokeep the emergency cards up to date with phone numbers for both the mother and father. Since we useelectronic communication so regularly, we now require all parents to include their email address on thesecards.The school will notify parents anytime a child sustains a head injury at school.F. Emergency Closing - Late Arrival ScheduleOur calendar is driven in large part by D. 203 due to our reliance on busing. Consequently, when theirsuperintendent implemented a ‘late arrival’ policy in an effort to avoid cancelling school with a snow day,we followed suit. Late arrival in essence means is that the school day will begin two hours later thanusual. All of our students who ride D. 203 buses will be picked up at their regular stop two hours laterthan normal.Those students who walk or are driven to school should not arrive prior to the drop off times where wewould have school personnel ready to greet them and admit them into the buildings. We would thusexpect students to arrive at school by 9:30 with classes formally beginning at 9:53. Dismissal timesremain the same. Those children who are dismissed from kindergarten at 11:30 would NOT report toschool on such days.Whether a ‘late arrival’ is declared or whether other conditions such as a broken water mainnecessitate school being shut down completely, we will try to communicate our response to thesecircumstances as early as possible, usually no later than 6:00 a.m. Families will be notified in thefollowing manner:1. Posting ‘late start’ information on our web page2. Sending an ‘e’ blast to all school families3. Utilizing One Call Now to place a phone call to all school families4. Providing this information to the Chicago area radio and television stationsIn an effort to ensure that all families receive notification of a school closing in a timely manner, weemploy the services of One Call Now. The biggest advantage of this system is their ability to call all schoolfamilies simultaneously. Each year we need to verify parent home numbers and day time work numbers tomaximize the benefits of this system.43

We will include this information on our school’s website which can be found at:http://www.sspeterandpaulschool.com.In addition, parents can also check the status for our school in one of the following ways:1) Go to our public website at http://www.emergencyclosingcenter.com/complete.html andsearch for the facility by typing the name and city or by the main phone number of thefacility (630-355-0113)2) Call 847-238-1234 from a touch-tone phone and enter the main phone number of thefacility.3) Receive an e-mail notification of a change made to your facility by signing up on ourwebsite at www.emergencyclosings.com.4) Listen to WGN Radio 720-AM, WBBM Radio 780-AM or watch CBS Ch. 2, NBC Ch. 5, ABCCh. 7, FOX 32, WGN-TV or CLTV cableG. Extended DayOur Extended Day (ED) program begins immediately after school and runs until 6:00 p.m., exceptfor August 22 (first day of school), November 21 (day before Thanksgiving), December 21 (early dismissalfor Christmas vacation), May 3 (early dismissal for goal setting) and May 24 (Records Day) all of which have an11:15 dismissal. This after-school program is housed in Zuker Hall, on the lower level of our Jr. High. BothMrs. Walker and Mrs. Ebeling coordinate this program which is also staffed daily by two members of ourfaculty in addition to a high school student. Families who wish to use this service must register each year andpay a $25 registration fee. The cost of the program is $16 per day and includes a snack.Although this is not a social gathering, the children will have time daily for either indoor or outdoorplay immediately after dismissal. Following this leisure break, they will snack, and then devote time to doingtheir homework, reading, or playing quiet games until picked up by their parent at the northeast door of ourJr. High. (alley by gym). It is our expectation that all required homework will be completed by any studentwho remains at Extended Day for the full period.H. Leaving Schools GroundsSince the school is responsible for the child during the entire school day, no child is permitted toleave before or during the school session. If for reason of illness or appointments, parents are to meet theirchild in the office and sign them out. A written note for early dismissal must accompany the child on the dayprior to the day of the appointment and be approved by the office. The note then must be presented to thehomeroom teacher.I. MedicationIn compliance with the Illinois School Code, and based on the RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES FORMEDICATION ADMINISTRATION published by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the State Board ofEducation, we are not allowed to dispense non-prescription medication such as headache tablets to ourstudents.A legal opinion by a legal advisor to the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, advises thatthe improper administration of medication by school employees (overdose, underdose, failure to followdirections, etc.) could be construed by the courts as negligence, subjecting the school and its employees to atort suit.When a child requires daily or regular medication, the responsibility for administering suchmedication rests solely upon the parents. The Health Department recognizes the need to cooperate with the44

parents in the medical treatment necessary for each child's physical, emotional and intellectual growth andwell-being and suggests the following guidelines:"Only medicines which are essential for the child to remain in school should be given under theconditions outlined below and with the approval of the school administration. Supervision must be providedwhen the child takes medication. We recommend that parents consult with their doctor to see if mid-daymedication can be adjusted and given at another time. When a question arises regarding exceptions tothese guidelines, the school nurse should be involved in the decision."A. The following should not be given by school personnel:1. Medication for recovery from acute illness2. Aspirin or pain relievers3. PRN medication (medicines to be given "as necessary")4. InjectionsB. Prior to giving medication at school, the School Medication Permission form should becompleted by the parents and physician authorizing the school to administer the medication.Permission forms shall be renewed annually and filed in student's health record.Furthermore, such medication will only be given if contents are contained in the originalpharmaceutical container.C. A permanent daily log should be kept on all medications given:Name Age Medication Dosage Date Given by WhomThe log will be reviewed regularly by the head of our health committee.For the sake of safety, all medications will be kept in the office and administered there by the aide,secretary, or nurse mom. Children are never permitted to independently carry or take medication (includingaspirin). The only current exception to this allowed by law is for INHALERS. Students who need thispotential life saving device are now allowed by law to carry them on their person. However, parents mustsubmit a form from the doctor annually informing us of the need for the child to have the inhaler in school.J. School PartiesOn special days throughout the year our students take a break from their studies to celebrate anappropriate holiday or event. Traditionally these include Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.Depending on the grade level, most parties include games, a craft activity, and treats.Due to the fact that each room may have 35 students plus a teacher, and teacher’s aide, we mustlimit parent participation at these parties to room mothers only. We also ask that all non-school age childrenbe left at home in order to ensure their safety.K. Street ClosingOn school days, Ellsworth Street is blocked to through traffic. This allows for our students to crosssafely between buildings and also provides for a safer playground experience. On days with funerals,however, the barricades are taken down during the Mass of Resurrection until the time the cortege leavesthe church. Therefore, we caution the children to stay in the habit of crossing only at the corners after firstlooking both directions for cars. We do not want our students to ever become careless and just run out ontothe street.45

L. SecurityIn an effort to keep our buildings safe and secure, we are very safety conscious and haveimplemented many measures that were recommended based on a security audit by both a private firm andmembers of the Naperville Police Department. Cameras have been installed around campus to monitoractivities around the clock. In addition, cameras have been placed on all floors in the Jr. High as this buildingis heavily trafficked with visitors due to a modicum of extracurricular events.Teachers have access to telephones in each classroom. There is also a teacher on each floor of eachbuilding with a two-way communication phone, and all classroom doors can be locked from the inside bypushing a button. Lockdown drills are also scheduled periodically throughout the year.In a further effort to maintain security, as well as the integrity of the academic environment, allparent meetings continue to be held in the Ministry Center. This includes such things as parent coffees,Brownies, Room Mothers, Home & School meetings, and sacramental meetings.All visitors, including parents, will also be required to sign in at the visitor’s desk and deposit theirdriver’s license.M. Telephone Usage including Cell PhonesWe do not call children or teachers from their classrooms to the phone. In our efforts to teachresponsibility, students will NOT be permitted to call home for homework assignments, gym clothes, artsupplies, permission to visit a friend after school, etcAs a means of accepting responsibility, student use of the office phone should be rare. Neithershould students use cell phones from the time they arrive at school until after dismissal.Our phone system includes voice mail which allows you to bypass our secretaries and leaveyour confidential message directly with the teacher. There are also phones in each classroom with eachteacher’s extension listed at the end of this handbook in the section that identifies our staff and thesubjects and grade level they teach. While teachers are requested to check their voice mail regularlyand return all calls within twenty-four hours, they are to turn off the phones when teaching and cannotbe reached directly between 7:30 – 2:15. We ask that when you call to please include the time of yourcall along with your message. Also, please do not call our teachers at home.Cell PhonesIf parents feel it is absolutely necessary for their children to have cell phones in school, they shouldonly be used to call parents at dismissal or at the conclusion of any after-school activities. They are not to beused at any point during the school day, including the lunch period. They are also not allowed to bebrought on field trips as texting, taking pictures, and phoning are distractions to the goals of the educationalexperience.Also, having cell phones turned on during a real emergency can impact communication betweenschool authorities. Police officials have also shared with us how cell phones can be used as a detonationdevice.Should any student be seen making or receiving a call or text message during the school day, thephone will be confiscated, a demerit issued, and kept in the office until dismissal. Should there be a repeatoccurrence, the cell phone will be taken away and kept in the office until the last day of school.46

N. TransfersIncomingTransferring to a new school is never easy. It becomes especially difficult for older children, andeven more so if the applicant has never attended a Catholic school. The enrollment process for incomingstudents in grades 4-8 includes a detailed application form, a reference from the previous school, a review ofreport cards and standardized tests, verification of student attendance in the parish religious educationprogram, and a formal interview with the principal. All of these steps are designed to determine theprobability of a successful fit with our student body and the requirements and expectations of our school.Incoming students are placed on probation for the first marking period to ensure a good fit with ourschool philosophy.OutgoingRecords of students leaving Saints Peter & Paul School, including graduates, will not be forwarded toanother school unless all accounts are paid in full. Parents who are moving and wish to bring copies of theirchild's permanent records to the school they are applying to may request this information in writing. There isa $20 charge to duplicate these materials.O. VacationsIn the interest of pupil success, regular attendance is imperative, even for a straight “A” student.While we realize the benefits that derive from a family being together for the occasional “trip of a lifetime”and understand that all parents often cannot schedule their vacations around school holidays, we discouragesuch absences. It is usually not in the best scholastic interests of children to have their academic scheduleand routine unduly interrupted. This is especially true in the Jr. High. Students leaving school because ofcommitments to traveling sports’ teams has also resulted in numerous unexcused absences.At times, a family feels they have no alternative but to schedule a vacation during the school year.While we understand this, we do not share the same opinion of absences due to sporting events. In eithercase, please know that the teachers cannot be expected to provide work to accompany each child. While werealize that parents have the best intentions in mind, and don’t want their children to lose their academicedge, this is a time consuming, and almost impossible, request for the teacher to honor. As stated earlier,children out of school for unexcused absences will be required to make up all tests and submit all homeworkupon the second day following their return to school. Furthermore, although parents may feel there is valueto participating in club sports, our experience is that even the best of students will see a drop in grades nomatter how conscientious they or their parents are about attending to school work while traveling. Inaddition to a fatigue factor, teaching lessons, presentations, experiments, discussions, and group workcannot be duplicated by simply making up late work.In the primary grades there are so many skills introduced that lesson plans may change severaltimes during a week. We have found that children stay on track more easily if they make up work after avacation and not during. As disappointing as this may be, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE HOMEWORKFOR VACATIONEERS. While this request may salve the parent conscience, it places a difficult, if notunreasonable, burden on the teacher.While the teachers will cooperate as best as possible in working with the children upon their return,it is unfair, and nigh impossible, to expect them to remain after school to catch up each child on missedschoolwork.47

P. Greeter’s Desk and Visitors - (including parents)As stated in our philosophy, we realize the importance of working in tandem with our parents. Weare also cognizant of the need for a steady dialogue between home and school, especially if a student beginsto under perform. Thus, we are very willing to meet with parents, as long as these meetings are prearrangedand not impromptu.Even more paramount, however, is the need to provide a safe school environment for our studentsand staff, as well as to protect the integrity of the teaching day. To that extent, we ask your cooperationwhen visiting the school since all doors are locked. All visitors will be asked to sign in at the Greeter’s Deskand leave their driver’s license.Primary parents, in particular, often hinder these efforts by being an enabler to their children. No child willever fail, get expelled, or be in serious trouble because they forgot their homework or a form. In addition,no child will ever starve to death because a lunch was left on the kitchen table or back seat of the car.Please remember that while you may be helping your child, you are taking the teacher’s attention away fromthe other children he/she is responsible for.To eliminate unnecessary office traffic, we have a mailbox outside the main Jr. High entrance. Parentsneeding to return forms (tuition payments, field trip permission slips, Annual Fund donations, etc.) are askedto use this drop box. In an effort to streamline some of the responsibilities of our secretaries and eliminate anumber of interruptions, we utilize parent volunteers to serve as greeters at the Jr. High main entrance eachmorning and afternoon. The greeter’s desk also serves as a drop-off point for anything a child may haveforgotten at home. Knowing this, it is each child’s responsibility to check the greeter’s desk when they knowa parent will be dropping something off. Examples include lunches, gym clothes, and anything a parentrealizes a child forgot to bring to school. Lunches dropped off for primary students will be delivered to themby the seventh grade Student of the Week who distributes the daily attendance form.You are more than welcome to schedule an appointment or ask a teacher to return a phone call wheneveryou feel the situation warrants. Parents wishing to confer with teachers are asked to call the teacher directlyby using the telephone extensions found in the back of this document. It is unfair to the teacher and his/herstudents for a parent to approach the teacher before, during, or immediately after school for anunscheduled, impromptu conference. Not only is this unprofessional, it is also unproductive if the teacher isunprepared, and more importantly, it is dangerous for the teacher to leave his/her other studentsunattended.IN THE INTEREST OF SECURITY, WE MUST INSIST THAT ANY PERSON, INCLUDING PARENTS, ENTERINGEITHER THE ELEMENTARY OR JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING FIRST RECEIVE CLEARANCE FROM THE OFFICE ORGREETRS DESK UNLESS YOU ARE HERE FOR A SPECIFIC SCHEDULED ACTIVITY SUCH AS A PARENT CONFERENCE,CHRISTMAS PARTY, HONORS ASSEMBLY, OPEN HOUSE, ETC. ONCE ENTERING THE JR. HIGH BUILDING, YOU WILLBE REQUIRED TO SIGN IN, LEAVE YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE, AND THEN WEAR A SCHOOL VISITOR PASS THATIDENTIFIES YOU AS SOMEONE WITH AUTHORIZATION TO BE IN THE BUILDING. YOU WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED TOSIGN OUT WHEN YOU LEAVE THE BUILDING UPON WHICH TIME YOUR LICENSE WILL BE RETURNED.SCHOOL CODE SEC. 24-25All visitors are required to report directly to the principal's office to identify themselves andstate their business. Any violators found in the building without permission are subject toprosecution as specified in the school code or by city ordinance.48

Q. Visitors - (Alumni & Former Students)Through our development efforts we strive to maintain harmonious relationships with our graduates and arepleased when they drop by to visit their alma mater. In the interest of academic continuity, however, wemust insist that such visits take place after the student body has been dismissed. Normally this is not aproblem except on those days the high schools follow an early dismissal schedule.In addition, we often get requests from families who are visiting Naperville with children who once attendedour school before they moved to another community. While they are anxious for their children to visit theirformer friends, it would be impossible to have them sit in on classes. They would be allowed permission,however, to come on campus during the lunch hour. Such requests must be made in writing and submittedno later than 8:30 A.M. of the day of planned visitation.49

STUDENT INFORMATIONA. BicyclesBicycle racks are found on the junior high playground. Bikes are to be walked when on school property andmust be kept locked in the rack. The school is not responsible for stolen bicycles. Bike riders may not leaveschool grounds until the buses are dismissed.B. Big Buddy ProgramIn an effort to increase and improve the spirit and camaraderie between the student body, we sponsor a BigBuddy Program that is coordinated by our teachers. By design, it pairs 1st and 7th graders as well as 2ndand 8th graders.Four times throughout the school year these students gather for either a social, educational or spiritualactivity. The response to this program continues to exceed our expectations as to the number of newfriendships that have developed and flourished.C. BirthdaysEach morning we announce birthdays on the P.A.Birthdays are especially important to our primary students (K-3). However, since most birthday treats arefilled with sugar, we do not want to disrupt the class’ ability to concentrate. Also, there are a growingnumber of students who suffer from peanut allergies. Thus, we request that all such treats be individuallywrapped so they can be given out at dismissal and eaten at home. If parents want to do something specialfor their children, we ask that you consider donating a book to a homeroom or school library on which wewill affix a special birthday insignia.D. Bus ServiceBecause transportation is provided by the public school district, they reserve the right to discipline studentswhose behavior interferes with the driver's concentration and passenger safety. After a student has beenwarned, continued misbehavior will lead to a demerit. Should the poor behavior continue, a student mayhave bus privileges suspended by District 203 for two weeks as well as receive a detention from school.Please note that cameras are installed on each bus and may be used to verify an unruly or continueddisturbance.Students are assigned an AM and PM bus in the fall and are not allowed to deviate from that bus at theirdiscretion for any reason. Insurance regulations and limited seating prohibit children from taking a differentbus after school to visit a friend to play or do homework together. Only on RARE occasions would this everbe allowed. Such an occurrence would require a written parental note signed by the principal, and submittedto the bus driver. Neither D. 203, nor our school, will allow such requests if they are made over the phone.Students who are ineligible for busing never have this opportunity.D. 203 does not provide busing on days when their students are not in class. While we try to mirrortheir calendar as much as possible there are several days when busing will not be provided. Thatinformation will be posted in the Principal’s Newsletter. In addition, based on a survey of parents last spring,our families voted to trade a week of no busing at the end of our term in order to have our year begin aweek later in August.Problems with routes, times, and driver professionalism should be directed to D. 203 transportationdirector Curly McQuillen at 420-6464.50

DISTRICT 203 BUS REGULATIONSDON'T LOSE YOUR RIDING PRIVILEGE - FOLLOW THESE RULES:1. Observe same conduct as in the classroom.2. Be courteous, especially to younger children; use no profane language.3. Do not eat or drink on the bus.4. Keep the bus clean.5. Do not be destructive. No writing on the seats.6. Stay in your seat. No standing.7. Keep hands, head, and feet inside bus.8. Bus driver is authorized to assign seats.9. Be respectful of the driver and other riders.10. District 203 reserves the right to deny bus service to anyone who continually violates any of theabove rules and regulations.The bus driver is responsible for the safety and welfare of his passengers. He is acting in locoparentis as an agent of the school and has the authority and responsibility to maintain discipline and order.Should the driver find it necessary to report a student's misbehavior to the principal, it will bedeemed serious and will be dealt with accordingly:1st offense: a demerit2 nd offense: suspension of bus privileges for 2 weeks plus a detention3 rd offense: suspension of bus privileges for remainder of semester plus a detentionThis policy is in effect because we do not want to risk jeopardizing bus service for our student body due tothe childish antics of a handful of children.E. Founder’s DaySponsored by the Home & School Association, this special day for students in grades K-7, will be held onschool grounds as near the end of the school year as possible. It honors our school’s founder,Fr. Charles Zuker, whose birthday was in early June. It is a day of fun, games, food, competition, contests,music, and merriment for our entire student body. This event is scheduled in lieu of individual year-end classpicnics.F. Health ProgramThe State of Illinois requires a physical before entering Kindergarten or first grade and sixth grade. Theseforms are given out in the spring and should be returned as soon as possible, but no later than the first dayof school. Transfers from out of state must have a physical within one year of starting school.The school office monitors records of the children's health forms. If the required physical forms are notsubmitted to Saints Peter & Paul by October 1 of each school year, then the child will not be permitted toattend school until the forms are submitted.The State of Illinois also requires all students in grades K, 2 nd & 6 th to have proof of a dental examination onfile at the school. An eye examination is required for students entering Kindergarten. The dental and visionforms can be found on our website.A Family Life program, based on religious values and morals, is also a regular part of the academic programof our school and is taught in all Religion classes in late February.51

During the lunch hour we are fortunate to have many additional volunteer parents with nursing credentialswho regularly staff the nurse’s center should any child come in from the playground with an injury. Theyassist our secretaries in administering medication and addressing any ailments or injuries which may occurwhen the children are at recess. Parents will be notified should a child come to the office reporting a headinjury.G. Hot LunchesEvery Monday, beginning on September 10 through May 20, the Hot Lunch committee will provide a specialtreat for our students. A varied menu is designed to delight the children. The Student Council sells flavoredwater on these days.H. LockersOnly Jr. High students may decorate the inside of their locker such as a mirror, calendar, school schedule, orpictures of classmates. They may not, however, decorate in such a manner that would be consideredoffensive to school authorities or classmates. We periodically conduct random locker checks to ensure thesestandards. We prefer students not have backpacks with wheels as they do not fit into our lockers. Locks areprovided to all Jr. High students who have a hallway locker on the main floor outside the gym.I. Lost and FoundLost articles will be placed in a box in both buildings. Marking articles of clothing, uniform, gym clothes, artsmocks, books, and supplies will forestall wasting time identifying and searching for lost articles. Allunclaimed items will be dispersed to charity on the last school day of October, December, March and May.J. Lunch PeriodEatingBecause of our limited outdoor facilities, our lunch period is staggered between students of each building.Our all-day kindergarten students’ break for recess at 11:15, afterwards they will enjoy lunch. At 11:40 ourfirst and second graders go outside for play. At 11:55 they return to their classrooms to eat their lunchunder the supervision of the classroom aide with assistance from eighth grade monitors.Students in grades 3-5 begin their outdoor recess at 11:56 at the same time the Jr. High is eating lunch inthe Zuker Hall. This set-up is reversed at 12:12.All children bring their lunches from home and those from grades 3-8 eat in Zuker Hall under facultysupervision. To help our students to become more responsible for their environment, make for a cleaner andmore pleasant setting, and to assist our noon supervisors in knowing where our children are at all times,everyone will have assigned seating to facilitate the taking of attendance.Since students in grades 3-5 play outside before going to eat, parents are encouraged to write theirchildren's names on all bags so they can be easily recognized. We also encourage families to buy theinsulated, recyclable SSPP lunch bags which the Home & School Association sells.Because we have some students with peanut allergies, we have a designated “peanut free” area in thelunchroom for these students and their friends to enjoy their lunch and lessen parent fears about theirchildren coming into contact with food sources that could cause a reaction. Keep in mind that children withsevere allergies should always wear a Medic-Alert bracelet explaining that they are allergic to and how theyshould be treated.Students are not permitted, however, to bring in special lunches for their select friends as a birthday treat.Time is limited and the singling out of a limited number of classmates for pizza or McDonald’s causes anelitist attitude (see Bullying) that we don’t want to encourage.52

Food is only to be eaten in the "lunchroom" and never on the playground or in the corridors. Unacceptablebehavior during the lunch period, including eating food outside, will result in a demerit being issued.We have paid teacher's aides in Grades K-3. Part of their responsibilities include being on the playground inthe morning before school, as well as lunch supervision for the primary students both indoors and out. Wehave two staff members monitoring lunch in Zuker Hall for grades 4-8 and four staff members outsidesupervising the playground.OutdoorsAfter spending four hours in the classroom each morning, our students need a break to play, run, jump rope,and socialize with their classmates. The lunch period recreation provides our students with a needed breakfrom their studies, rejuvenates them for their afternoon classes, and gives then an opportunity to get toknow each other in a relaxed atmosphere.Each grade has an assigned area of the playground in which to play during the outside portion of their lunchbreak. Children are not to leave this area without the specific permission of the adult supervisor. Althoughthe streets are blocked off from traffic, the children still have to watch out for the occasional parent volunteeror funeral attendee who parks on Ellsworth Street and needs to leave during the lunch hour.Rough play or misbehavior of any kind will not be tolerated. Tackle football, the use of hardballs, or anyobjects that could prove harmful to students or would cause damage to school property will not be allowed.This includes snowballs in the winter.A large student population, coupled with limited space, presents numerous challenges to our noon recess.This is compounded whenever the parish has an 11:00 funeral followed by a lunch in the Ministry Center.Nonetheless, we feel that the children need unstructured time to play and interact. Thus, in the fall andspring they are left on their own under the supervision of some of our teachers and aides. Children areallowed to play on the “commons” in front of the Ministry Center as long as the ground is not wet. Duringthe winter when wind chills prevent us from going outdoors, the students in grades 3-8 compete in variousathletic contests in the gym to keep them occupied in a constructive manner.Our numbers also necessitate adherence to the following regulations in order to guaranteeeveryone's safety.1. School boundaries - No one is allowed beyond:North - on east side of Ellsworth - to Miller home next to jr. high parking lotSouth - to Benton (corner by church)East - up to (but not including) the alleyWest - Ellsworth corner north of Franklin2. Kindergarten, first and second graders will play on the elementary playground before the others beginrecess.3. No one is allowed in either of the school buildings, the Ministry Center, or church.4. Students are not to bring bats, balls, skateboards or Frisbees. All necessary playground equipment willbe furnished by either the physical education or classroom teacher.5. Dodge ball and keep-away are forbidden.6. Throwing of rocks and snow is forbidden.7. No food is to be eaten outside.8. Students are not allowed to congregate on the landings of any of the entrances.9. Balls are not to be thrown at the school building for fear of breaking a window.10. Students are expected to be respectful of trees, bushes, and flowers.Disregard for any of these regulations may lead to a demerit or detention.53

K. Morning SnacksWhile childhood obesity is becoming a national problem, research is also available on eating disorders.Making sure children eat well-balanced nutritious meals is a challenge all families face. Doctors andnutritionists recommend a healthy breakfast to provide the body with nourishment and to help one’smetabolism. For our elementary students only, nutritional snacks are allowed during mid-morning inconjunction with seat work.We expect this respite to re-energize our students so commodities such as candy, potato chips, anddonuts will not be allowed. Healthy foods such as granola bars or pre-sliced fruit would be ideal, aswould water. Our hope is to achieve a balance that will help the child but not disrupt the lesson or dirtythe desk or classroom. It is also understood, that due to a large number of students who have peanutallergies, peanut butter and other peanut derivative snacks cannot be allowed. While we have a peanutfree zone in the lunchroom, our classrooms are too small to make such accommodations.L. Orientation of New Students and FamiliesEach year, due to the transient nature of the Naperville community, we welcome numerous newfamilies and children to our school community.In an effort to make them feel welcome and as comfortable with their new academic environment aspossible, we offer the following:1. Welcome of New StudentsOn Tuesday, August 21, our Student Council moderator along with returningmembers of last year’s Student Council will conduct an orientation for all transferees ingrade 6-8. It will begin outside the office at 1:30 p.m. and conclude with refreshments onehour later.2. First Day of School - August 22, 11:15 dismissalAll new students in grades 1-8 will be greeted by their teachers on the playgroundat 7:30 AM on Wednesday, August 22, our first day of school. New students will also beassigned a classmate to accompany them around the school for a few days until they feelcomfortable in their new surroundings.3. New Parent CoffeeOn Wednesday, August 22, from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. in the Ministry Center, allnew families are invited to a Coffee with the Principal and Pastor. Here you will meet otherfamilies who are new to our school, receive an overview of our school philosophy, and meetrepresentation of our School Board, Home & School, Athletic and Development Boards.4. SocializationBecause puberty is so daunting, because having a friend is so important toadolescents, and because our student body is spread out over seven parishes, it isimportant that we schedule various social activities to bring the student body closer togetherand to foster new friendships.Beginning in sixth grade, our Jr. High students generally utilize home athleticcontests to develop new or deeper friendships. Eight graders also enjoy a dance atHalloween and Christmas. The task of providing tasteful music which children enjoy,however, is becoming more and more challenging. Thus, for sixth and seventh graders weare looking to schedule a ‘gym night’ in lieu of a dance where classmates can play a varietyof games, eat pizza, and socialize.54

M. Parent Communication – www.sspeterandpaulschool.comThe principal writes a monthly newsletter that contains a calendar, pertinent information about ourschool, as well as a preview of activities scheduled for the upcoming month. It can be found on the schoolweb page on the third Thursday of the month. Each Thursday, however, our technology coordinator,Mr. David Hurd, places other flyers and school related information on the web via our E-Envelope. Theserequests must first be sent to the principal for approval by Tuesday of the week they are to be entered.Another important feature for parents to reference weekly is entitled THIS WEEK AT SSPP. It isemailed to parents by 6:00 p.m. every Sunday evening and is the source of the most up to date informationabout our school. You will find it more current than the general calendar of events that was completed lastspring. Another important feature to help keep parents well informed is a summary of the previous month’sminutes of the School Board, Development Board, Home & School Association, and Athletic Association.Parents are also encouraged to check the teachers’ web sites regularly. Our expectation is thatteachers will update their web page by 6:00 p.m. each Sunday.Our entire calendar of events is available on the bottom of our web page below the weekly calendar.N. Physical EducationThe aim of our P.E. program is to provide an outlet for student energies and to educate the childrenon the advantages of being physically fit. We follow the P.E. 4 Life program to help counter the sedentarylifestyle that so many Americans have fallen into. Research has shown that taking care of one’s body alsoimproves the mind. Although our schedule precludes us from offering daily physical education, we aremoving away from team sports to a philosophy of developing an attitude that promotes fitness for life. Heartmonitors are used by Jr. High students to help each student determine their optimum heart rate whenworking out.Our Physical Education program is available to all of the children from grades kindergarten througheighth. If any child, however, has had serious illness or injury that may be aggravated by vigorous physicalactivity, the school authorities should be notified and adjustment will be made. Otherwise, all students areexpected to participate in the physical education program, and only those students presenting a written notefrom their physician will be excused from participating in the program.Gym Uniforms: Students in grades 4-8 are required to dress for physical education in Saints Peter & Paulgym uniforms that can be purchased at Educational Outfitters in Plainfield. They are located at 16310 S.Lincoln Highway (North of I-55 on Rte. 30) and can be reached at (815) 436-7777. Failure to dress properlyfor PE will potentially lower a student’s grade.O. Pupil AppearancePupils are expected to be groomed and dressed acceptably for their age level and in a manner whichis conducive to a good school atmosphere. All pupils in grades K-8 are expected to be in complete uniformevery day.Uniforms will be worn from the first day of school until the last day. Because all classrooms are airconditioned,we make no provisions for a special dress code due to hot, humid weather.Students are required to be in complete uniform coming to school, in school, and going home. Theonly exceptions are on the days we have early dismissal. Once the student body is sent home, thoseremaining may change into more casual clothes in a school bathroom. Students may not go to the MinistryCenter to change clothes at any time as there are generally events taking place and because there is also noadult supervision.55

Students who remain after school for any school-sponsored activity (Extended Day, Yearbook, play rehearsal,Science Olympiad, band, etc.) are required to be dressed in complete uniform including having their shirtsbuttoned and blouses tucked in.Our current uniform code is a result of recommendations from a committee of teachers which also welcomesstudent and parent input. Their findings are designed to give our students a look which is neat, clean, ageappropriate and befitting the image of a Catholic elementary school.As you read over the uniform code, you will also find an addendum listing expectations regarding hairstyle,jewelry, and appearance among others. Because we cannot anticipate societal trends and fads, we reservethe right to restrict certain fashion statements that might not be specifically addressed in this handbook.Our policy allows students to be allowed to wear gym shoes as of May 1 st . Students may also wear white orblack golf or tennis socks with their gym shoes during these last weeks of school. This deviance from ourcode is allowed to help parents avoid the unnecessary expense of purchasing a new pair of school shoes forthe last weeks of school. To eliminate the cost, competition, and hurt feelings, however, that come withbuying name brand shoes, the faculty recommends that all students whose dress shoes are not in goodenough condition to wear the last four weeks of school, wear their old basketball gym shoes. They must,however, be clean, neat, and tied at all times.Based on a recommendation of our faculty uniform committee, students will be in school uniform allyear, including the day for school pictures, the Christmas party, and May Crowning (with the exception of 2 nd(Communion clothes) & 8 th graders.P. Out of Uniform Days & Spirit WearOn occasion, our Student Council seeks to promote school spirit and raise funds by sponsoring out-ofuniformdays. While we understand how much the students enjoy wearing more casual clothes, we willendeavor to keep these exceptions to a minimum, as we know students behavior much differently when notin their school uniform.Our Home & School Association sponsors a variety of spirit wear in the forms of tee shirts and sweat shirtswhich are generally acceptable for such special days. Here are a few guidelines to follow: Jeans and sweat pants are allowed No Yoga pants Gym shoes are okay Uggs are okay No open toe shoes, flip flops, or slip-on-shoes without backs. No article of clothing can be worn that is ripped, has holes, is too tight, or shows the midriff,shoulders, or cleavage. No clothing with inappropriate wording. No leggings or jeggings. No shorts.School teams who receive t-shirts commemorating winning a league or tournament championship may wearthose shirts (with their school pants and skorts and school shoes) on the date of the next Honors Assembly.Cast members of our school play may wear their t-shirts on the day of dress rehearsal and the members ofour Science Olympiad team can wear their shirts on the day before their competition.Cosmetics and nail polish are not allowed.As primary students are allowed to bring a costume to school to wear for afternoon Halloweenparties, we urge parents not to purchase clothing which glorifies violence. Accessories that include guns orknives are also discouraged.56

Q. School Uniform (PLEASE SEE THAT ALL CLOTHING IS LABELLED)One of the advantages parents seek in a Catholic school is that the presence of uniforms eliminatesthe hassle and costs of buying clothes. Teachers will also tell you that uniforms minimize distractions causedby outlandish clothing and that children are more compliant in uniform.All students are expected to be dressed in accordance with our uniform code on all school days. If ateacher notices a child is non-compliant, a Uniform Code Violation (UCV) form will be issued from the schooloffice that will not identify the teacher, thus making it easier for the dress code to be enforced. Uponreceiving a third UCV, a demerit will be issued. Five UCV’s will require the offender to lose out of uniformprivileges the next time such an event is scheduled.The official Saints Peter & Paul uniform which must be worn by everyone and must be purchasedthrough Educational Outfitters at their Plainfield location on Rte. 30 just north of I-55 at 16310 S. LincolnHighway (815-436-7777). To order, either call the store or order online athttp://www.educationaloutfitters.com/Default.aspx. If you order online, our school code is IL0811.Uniform DeliveryOrders can either be picked up at the store, shipped to your home (delivery charges will apply) orthey can be delivered to school free of charge and sent home with your child. The delivers occurs on thefirst Wednesday of every month.Uniform Exchanges and ReturnsReturns must be made within 30 days of purchase. Exchanges may be made within 60 days ofpurchase. All returns and exchanges must be unworn, unwashed and still have the original tags on themerchandise. Items that are logo’d or altered are not returnable.GIRLSK-5:Blue plaid jumperWhite blouse with round collarBlue slacks (if slacks are worn, student must also wear either theSSPP sweatshirt or SSPP v-necked cardigan)White smooth knit turtleneck (in lieu of blouse fromNavy blue knee-highs or navy blue tightsNavy blue unisex V-necked cardigan sweater w/school logoNavy blue SSPP sweatshirt sold by H & SShoes: brown, black, navy (no wheelies) * see below6-8: Blue skort (must be no more than 2” above middle of knee)Blue Slacks – if slacks are worn, the student must also wear eitherthe navy blue vest or navy blue SSPP sweater)Yellow oxford, button-down blouse w/school logoNavy blue knee-highs or navy blue tightsNavy blue sweater vest or Navy blue SSPP sweatshirt (required)NOTE: Girls on patrol may wear warmer non-uniform slacks whileoutdoors as long as they do not resemble pajamas.Shoes: Brown, Black, Navy (no wheelies) * See belowBOYS K-5: Light blue button-down collar oxford shirt (purchased from Ed. Outfitters)Navy blue twill slacksNavy blue unisex V-neck cardigan sweater w/ school logoNavy blue SSPP sweatshirtNavy blue crew socks which cover the ankle with no logo3-5 Black, navy or brown beltShoes: brown, black, navy (no wheelies) *see below57

6-8: Light blue button-down collar oxford shirtNavy blue twill slacksOptional: Navy blue V-neck pullover sweater w/ school logoNavy blue SSPP sweatshirtNavy blue crew socks which cover the ankle with no logoBlack, navy or brown beltShoes: Brown, Black, Navy (no wheelies) * See belowGym uniforms for students in grades 4-8 can also be purchased at Educational Outfitters.* All students are expected to wear dress shoes. Dress/school shoes must be made of a solid, one colorsturdy suede, leather or leather-like with a non-marking soft sole. The sole may be crepe or leather.Acceptable shoes would be loafers or tie shoes. Gym or soccer style shoes are not acceptable. Heavy suedeboot-type shoes are to be worn only during seasonal cold or increment weather. Fabric, patterned, ormetallic shoes are not allowed.IN ADDITION:All clothes must fit properly, waistbands at waist; no baggy blouses and shirts.Blouses and shirts must be tucked inside skorts and slacks.Parents of Jr. High girls will have to buy a new skort if the length of the current one is more than2 inches above the knee.Boys’ hair is to be clean, neat, tapered, and not hang below middle ear nor below the middle ofthe forehead. No fad haircuts allowed. It is expected that everyone’s hair would be his/hernatural color. Any headband embellishments must be less than 2”.Shoes with more than 1½ heels are unacceptable, as are sandals, clogs, or backless shoes.Wheelies are not allowed.Elementary girls may wear shorts under their skirt or jumper as long as they are not visible.Boys may not wear earrings and girls may not wear dangling earrings.Multiple wristbands are not allowed whether they be navy blue or black.Neckbands are not allowed.Only uniform slacks may be used in cold weather; no sweatpants nor flannel-type pants maybe worn.As each teacher’s priority is to educate your child, please make sure that he/she is dressedappropriately before leaving home so the teachers can focus on his/her lessons.Q. Vision and HearingThese exams are administered in the school by the DuPage County Health Department. Accordingto state law, the following students are evaluated each year:Kindergarten – vision* & hearing1 st Grade – hearing only2 nd Grade – vision and hearing3 rd Grade – hearing only4 th Grade – vision only8 th Grade – vision only* Only those that do not have a form on file. This will not replace the requirement from the state for Visiontesting entering Kindergarten.Parents are notified if results indicate the need of a more complete examination.58

STEPS TO RESPECTAlthough our students are generally polite and well behaved, they are still children with much to learn andoften in need of correction due to their age and lack of maturity. Thus, they are not always sensitive to thefeelings of others and may, at times, say or do something that is hurtful. Today, our society considers this aform of bullying. While such behavior may not be unusual among young or even adolescent children, it isstill inappropriate and unacceptable. Thus, our teachers have made it a priority to focus on identifying andcorrecting bullying type behavior.The Steps-to-Respect program is used to address the needs of students, parents, and teachers. Thisprogram is designed to raise everyone’s awareness of bullying. Our hope is to provide a more safe andnurturing environment.This anti-bullying prevention offering is an offshoot of the work from the Committee for Children. It offers avariety of steps and classroom strategies for all grade levels. Included among them are scripts, videos,handouts, and charts. A specific curriculum is taught to our students in grades 4-8 twice a month, generallyduring Religion classes on Mass days. Themed concepts will also be presented in literature units throughoutthe year.The following expectations are the cornerstone of our program:1. Children will be courteous to teachers, classmates, and visitors. There will be no rudeness, insults,swearing, teasing, or spreading of gossip, or conscious ostracizing of classmates.2. Children will show respect toward others. There will be no kicking, hitting, biting, pushing, tripping, orthrowing things at others.3. Children will ask before borrowing or taking something that belongs to another.4. Children will not intentionally exclude others from activities.5. Children are expected to help others who are being bullied by either speaking out or by seeking helpfrom adults.Many children, and even adults, may feel that bullying is, by nature, an overly aggressive action. In recentyears, however, some of our biggest problems have arisen due to exclusion. This occurs, for example,when children give a verbal or written invitation to a party or sleepover right in front of another classmate.Another common occurrence is when children talk about a weekend experience, like a party, in front ofsomeone who was not even invited. We need to encourage our students, and parents, to be more sensitiveto such matters.A component of the program allows students and parents to inform school authorities of apparent violationsby filing their concerns anonymously online at our website on what is known as our Bully Board.Students who do not adhere to these expectations will be subject to being disciplined withdemerits, or detentions.DISCIPLINEThe environment of a Catholic school should be one where respect for all individuals prevails. Children needto feel relaxed and comfortable in order to do their best work. If student behavior consists of acts ofviolence, threats, harassment OR bullying, it should be reported immediately to the school principal. Allreports will be taken seriously.Registration for admission to our school acknowledges the parents' role in fostering in their children awillingness to "obey the rules" and conduct themselves in a gentlemanly and ladylike manner. Corporalpunishment, group punishment, bullying, or ridiculing the students is not allowed by our faculty. However,we do feel that one of the functions of school is to teach children the difference between right and wrong.59

Furthermore, children need to learn at an early age that everyone in society has to face consequenceswhenever bad decisions are made.Most of our student body has little or no trouble adhering to school or classroom rules and regulations. Thevast majority of students generally do not even receive a demerit over the course of the school year, letalone a detention. Jr. High students who do not receive a demerit over an entire quarter are honored at ourHonors Assembly with Citizenship ribbons.In guiding your child's growth in habits of virtue and in Christian attitudes, we endeavor, wherever possible,to emphasize the positive rather than the negative. The essence of Christian discipline is self-discipline. Toaccomplish this, all students must recognize their individual responsibilities and obligations and carry themout in accordance with school regulations.Also, anytime students are participating in a school-sponsored or teacher-directed activity, on or off of ourschool grounds, and even if the activity may be outside of normal school hours (athletic events, field trips,Nichols Library, musical performances, on the bus, downtown, etc.), everyone is subject to the same rules,regulations, and discipline as if unacceptable behavior occurred here on campus.One of the biggest challenges for administrators at all levels these days, whether in a public or Catholicsetting, is determining whether the school should be involved in discipline for behavior that took place offschool grounds on non-school days. Legal advice which Joliet Diocesan principals have received fromspeakers at diocesan institutes advises that conduct, whether inside or outside of the school, that isdetrimental to the reputation of Saints Peter & Paul School or Parish, the Catholic Church, faculty, staff, oradministration will be dealt with by either the school and/or police. This includes, but is not limited toblogging, the misuse of the school logo, as well as derogatory pictures or videos of, or comments about,students, faculty and principal (current or past) , priests, staff, and parents (either current or past) placedonline. Students need to be aware that such conduct may also lead to criminal prosecution. Studentsaccused of violating state, civil, or federal law will be placed on home study pending the outcome of thematter.As stated earlier in our Philosophy on page 3, "We believe this school has the responsibility ofcreating and maintaining an environment that assists each student in translating the knowledge he hasacquired into purposeful Catholic witness and responsible citizenship." Students who demonstrate aconsistent disregard for school rules will not be invited to return for the following school year.In keeping with these beliefs, we have the following expectations for our students:EXPECTATION OF MANNERS & DECORUMIn order to help our student body grow in terms of learning acceptable behavior in group social situations,we have developed guidelines that reflect the kind of behavior we expect at:Church1. Use the restroom before Mass.2. Be silent when entering or exiting church except to greet the celebrant. If the congregation is recitingthe rosary, join in with them.3. At the direction of the teacher, genuflect as a class before entering the pew.4. Take off coats so that only SSPP uniforms, sweaters, or sweatshirts are visible.5. Be gentle with kneelers. Use hands to raise or lower them.6. Sing with enthusiasm.7. Actively participate.8. Be respectful during the sign of peace.9. When receiving Communion, make sure hands are clean, make eye contact with the Eucharisticminister, and upon receiving the Eucharist, bow, make the sign of the cross, and say Amen.10. Before leaving, check pews to make sure songbooks are returned to rack.11. Take song sheets and programs back to classroom.60

Hallways1. Always be aware of traffic flow. Stay on right side of the hall.2. Never walk between two adults who are speaking.3. If you’re going through swinging doors, hold them open for the person behind you.4. Pick up any litter you may see on the floor.5. If you find a textbook, notebook, or article of clothing next to a locker, try to identify it and return it toits owner, the office, or the greeter table. Don’t leave anything on the floor in front of your locker.6. Keep your hands to yourself.7. Feel free to carry on a conversation with someone walking with you, but not with someone ten feet infront of you.8. Be polite and say hello to the Jr. High greeter and any adults you may encounter.9. Keep your locker clean, especially if it’s located in the hall.Athletic Events1. When entering the gym, wait for a pause in the playing before taking a seat in the bleachers.2. Do not talk to the players when they are on the court.3. Cheer for our team, but do not boo the opponents.4. Be respectful of all referees’ decisions.5. Give the opponents the same courtesies as our team during serves and free throws.6. Watch the game---do not fool around in the bleachers—it is distracting to the players and fans.7. Only leave the gym to go the bathroom or concession stand.8. You are not permitted to congregate in the halls, stairways, Zuker Hall, or outside.9. Remove your garbage when leaving the bleachers.10. Do not walk on the court at any time, including half-time or between games.11. Remain in gym until your parents pick you up.Assemblies1. Everyone is to sit in his/her room’s assigned area with their homeroom teacher.2. Give full attention to the speaker.3. Show your appreciation by polite applause, not stomping your feet on the bleachers.4. Wait until all those being honored receive their recognition before applauding.5. Assist students walking through the aisles to get to the stage.6. Pick up all papers or programs.DISCIPLINE POLICY1. Student behavior at school liturgies and in the classroom should create and maintain an environmentfor purposeful learning.2. Behavior to and from school should be representative of the good training given at home and atSaints Peter & Paul School.3. Students are to enter the building at 7:40 a.m. and report to their assigned homeroom. All studentsmust be in their seats ready for prayers and announcements at 7:45 a.m.4. Students should come to and leave school in complete uniform unless indicated otherwise by theschool.5. School bells should be responded to promptly and orderly.6. Order is expected when entering and leaving church, the Ministry Center, either school building, inall halls, stairways, washrooms, and in the lunchroom.61

7. Food is eaten only in the lunchroom, after prayer, during the lunch period. Students are givenassigned seats and may only leave the Zuker Hall to use the washroom. Gum chewing is notallowed on the school premises at any time…..even after school.8. Proper respect should be shown for priests, administrators, teachers, aides, librarians, secretaries,parents, coaches, visitors, bus drivers, classmates, students, and anyone who is encountered inschool, church, or in an extra-curricular pursuit.9. Respect must be shown for school property and the property of others at all times. No one is tohandle the property of another person without that person's permission. Students should also berespectful of their work when it is returned by the teacher. Art work, architectural projects, researchpapers, and other such materials should be taken home and shared with parents before decidingwhether they are to be kept or discarded.10. Students must have the teacher's permission to be out of the classroom at any time. Studentsabsent from class without parent/teacher approval will be considered truant.11. Students may not leave the school without the parents’ or school’s written permission.12. Students must play in their assigned areas on the playground.13. Students are not to bring any electronic devices to school as there is no time during the school daywhen they are allowed to be used. Furthermore, there is the risk of their being damaged, lost, orstolen. All such materials will be confiscated by the Principal, a demerit issued, and may not bereturned until the end of the school year. Cell phones may be brought to school but cannot beturned on or used until after school.14. Students should leave the school grounds promptly, and in complete uniform, at dismissal time andgo directly home. Students who want to stay for an activity commencing at 2:45 or later must firstgo home or enroll in the Extended Day program.15. All academic and discipline forms are to be signed and returned to the teacher or staff person whoissued it by 8:00 a.m. the following school day. Failure to do so may result in the issuance of ademerit.16. Homework and tests submitted by a student must reflect his/her own achievement.17. Students who vandalize or destroy school property will be required to pay restitution, including labor,for restoration, in addition to receiving an appropriate punishment. They will not be allowed to bepromoted or graduate until their accounts are settled.18. More serious infractions of the above offenses will be directed to the administration and a facultyadvisory board (consisting of a teacher from the primary, intermediate and junior high). Punishmentwill be determined by this group and a penalty could result in placement anywhere on steps 1-6,including expulsion. Any disciplinary action taken beyond a demerit would automatically disqualify astudent from Citizenship for that quarter.Most infractions of our discipline policy can be dealt with by the issuance of a demerit. Somemisbehavior might be determined to be of such a serious nature, however, that the offender will receive amore severe punishment, such as a detention or even a suspension. This can occur even if there is no priorrecord of discipline code violations. For purposes of administering our discipline code, students who findthemselves in the aforementioned situation and commit an act that results in a direct suspension will sufferthe appropriate consequences and then have their punishment equated to a particular step on our policy aswell as forfeit Citizenship for that quarter.62

As it is impossible to anticipate all forms of unacceptable behavior, the school administrationreserves the right to impose disciplinary action on conduct not specifically covered in our discipline policy orlisted explicitly in this handbook.If the school rules listed are not adhered to, one of the following steps will be taken:1. Demerit Form issued2. Uniform Code Violation (3 UCV’s = 1 demerit)3. Detention Form issued as a result of accumulation of 3 Demerits4. Detention issued5. Double Detention issued due to gravity of offense6. Internal or External Suspension7. ExpulsionDiscipline forms will be sent home by the principal or teacher to be signed and returned to school by8:00 a.m. the following school day. Failure to comply can result in an additional demerit or detention.Discipline Policy:As our discipline policy is enforced, demerits and detentions are cumulative from August-June.1st detention - REFLECTION (write two-page essay on Wednesday from 2:20 - 3:20)No extra-curricular activities, including practice or school dances, for one week.2nd detention - SATURDAY SCHOOL / SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAMNo extra-curricular activities, including practice or school dances, for one week.(Served on second Saturday of month from 6:30 AM - 8:00 AM)3rd detention - 1 DAY IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION +No extra-curricular activities including practice or school dances for two weeks.Probation letter on field tripsParent/Teacher/Pupil/Principal Conference4th detention - 1 DAY EXTERNAL SUSPENSION*Ineligible for extra-curricular activities for remainder of yearNot allowed to participate on any field trips, faith experience, or Founder’s DayProbation Letter for Re-RegistrationParent/Teacher/Pupil/Principal/Pastor Conference5th detention - 2-DAY EXTERNAL SUSPENSION*Re-registration Denied6th detention - EXPULSIONThe principal reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of the action if any doubt arises.For an internal suspension, the parent will be billed for a substitute teacher ($85) to sit with the child.INCIDENTS OR THREATS OF VIOLENCEOne of the recent dilemmas facing schools today is determining the seriousness and intent ofoffhand remarks, derogatory comments, drawings, and writings made by students. This is often furthercomplicated if the threat is in the form of an electronic communication sent to the home. Any student,faculty member, or administrator who at any time (in or out of school) becomes aware of an actual orperceived threat of harm by a student to themselves, another child or adult, or to the school buildings shallreport the incident to the principal as soon as possible.We reserve the right to inspect the student's desk, locker, and other belongings when suspicionarises that something stolen or harmful may be in a student's possession.63

In response, the principal shall investigate the matter and the student alleged to have made thethreat will be removed from school for an undefined period of time during the investigation. Thisinvestigation will, at a minimum, include an interview of each person involved…….the student making thealleged threat and the person(s) reporting it. If it is determined the reported actions can be verified, thenthe offending party will be removed from school for a minimum of two weeks and be required to beevaluated by a certified therapist. The offending party would not be allowed to re-enter school until it isdetermined, after consultation with the certified therapist, Catholic Schools Office, principal and pastor, thatthe offending party is not a danger to him(her)self or others.PINK SLIPSRather than issue a demerit, we give students a pink slip when library books are overdue orhomework/study habit forms are not returned. While each represents a breakdown in expectations thatmust be dealt with, neither offense classifies as a traditional discipline or behavior problem.A "pink slip" will carry the weight of a demerit and lead to a detention, but the similarities will endwhen it comes to loss of eligibility for field trips or extracurriculars. Only "real" discipline problems will bepunished with the loss of such privileges. A detention as a result of three pink slips will not automaticallydisqualify a student for citizenship recognition. If not signed, a pink slip counts toward a demerit.DETENTION (Behavior & Academic)Detentions will be served on Wednesday from 2:20 PM. to 3:20 PM in the room of the assignedteacher monitor. (Primary grade students serve only from 2:20 to 2:50, although third graders will serve afull hour beginning with the second semester). During this time students will not be allowed to do schoolwork of any kind. Rather, they will be required to write a two-page essay detailing the events that resultedin their punishment and devise a strategy as to a better way of dealing with those situations shouldcircumstances cause them to occur again. Students are to be picked up promptly at the conclusion of thedetention period.Failure of a student to serve a detention will result in the issuance of another demerit. Lack ofcompliance with our discipline policy will automatically result in the re-registration for all children of thisfamily being rejected for the next school year. Parent signatures on disciplinary forms indicate theirawareness, and not necessarily their agreement, with actions taken by school personnel. Forged signatureson demerits, academics, permission slips, etc. will also result in the issuance of another demerit.Academic and Behavior punishments are treated separately and not co-mingled in terms ofaccelerated consequences.SATURDAY SCHOOL / SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAMStudents receiving their second detention, whether it be academic or behavior, will serve it on thesecond Saturday of the ensuing month from 6:30 AM - 8:00 AM with supervision from the principal. Duringthis time they will help beautify the school by performing tasks such as pulling weeds, picking up litter,cleaning lockers, washing blackboards, scrubbing desks, etc.INTERNAL SUSPENSION1. The student will be isolated from classmates for the entire day including the lunch hour. Because we donot have extra personnel available to monitor this punishment, we will hire a substitute teacher ($85)and bill the parents for this cost.2. Student will go to each teacher before school, obtain assignments, and be in engaged in schoolwork allday.64

3. Student will drop one grade when turning in any homework assigned during his/her punishment. Uponreturning to class, he/she will be expected to make up any tests he/she missed and will receive onegrade lower than results warrant.4. Attendance at, or participation in, school-sponsored activities or organizations is forfeited for the periodof the suspension.* Internal suspensions are only administered for behavioral problems, not academic.EXTERNAL SUSPENSION1. Student will not be allowed on school property for the duration of the suspension.2. Student will be required to complete all homework assignments and complete any missing tests. Theywill, however, receive one grade lower than results warrant.3. Attendance at, or participation in, school-sponsored activities or organizations is forfeited for the time ofthe suspension.4. Students punished with their 4th or 5th detention on a Friday will be suspended from school on thefollowing Monday and will not be allowed to participate in any school activities during the intermittentweekend.* On rare occasions a child may commit an act that would result in the issuance of an internal or externalsuspension even though the child may not have received one demerit prior to this aforementioned offense.Such decisions would not necessarily automatically include all of the consequences the handbook lists for achild who reaches this point via incremental steps on our discipline policy. Academically, however, thestudent will receive one grade lower than the results warrant on all make-up work.EXPULSIONThe reasons justifying expulsion from a Catholic school should be as serious as they are rare. Assoon as it becomes evident that expulsion of a particular child might be necessary, the administrator willnotify the pastor, diocesan superintendent, School Board president, and the parents of the child. Possiblereasons for expulsion include:1. When the moral, academic or physical well-being of the student body is endangered.2. When there is a prolonged, consistent, and open disregard for school authority.3. A violation of local, state, civil, or federal law.ELIGIBILITY - Student Council, Sports, School Play, Band,It is our philosophy that students attend our school primarily for religious development andformation, and, secondly, for the academic education we offer.We recognize that one of the by products of a Catholic education would be to instill a positive selfconceptin each child. Whereas some students may experience difficulties in the classroom; they very oftenshine in extracurricular endeavors. Consequently, we try to offer a wide range of activities for studentinvolvement.Nonetheless, we feel that student participation is an honor and not a right. Students shouldremember that involvement in extracurricular activities assumes that they can conform to teacher-made andschool-directed policy. As participants in such activities, they represent the student body, the school and the65

community. Consistent violation of rules indicates that the student cannot exhibit the self-discipline andresponsibility necessary to be in such a position of leadership or representation and will lead to removal fromextracurricular activities.Any Student Council who receives two behavior detentions will be removed from office.SUSPENSION FROM EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIESAcademicsStudents receive four report cards annually which become part of their permanent record. At themid-point of each marking period, a child who is experiencing academic difficulties will have those strugglesclearly communicated to the parents via the Thursday progress report.To ensure that our children understand that their main responsibility is to their studies first, andextracurricular activity second, we adhere to the following guidelines:Progress ReportsA child engaging in an extracurricular activity, who has either a D- or F at the time the mid-termgrades are posted on-line, shall be placed on probation the Friday following their posting. The student willthen be given one week to improve the deficiency. During this week, he/she will be allowed to practice andparticipate in all activities.The affected students will also be issued an eligibility form. If the deficiency is not corrected at theconclusion of one week, the student will not be allowed to participate (play or practice) for the followingweek. A student on probation will have a weekly update of eligibility until the deficiency is removed and willnot be allowed to play or practice until earning a passing grade.Report CardsSince the grades on the report card are part of a child's permanent record, anyone with anachievement grade of less than D (which is the minimum grade needed for promotion or graduation) in anyclass including Vocabulary will be suspended from all extracurriculars (practices as well) for two weeks foreach grade in question. Ineligibility due to academic grades will begin on Monday immediately following theissuance of the report card.The affected students will also be issued an eligibility form. If the deficiency is not corrected at theconclusion of two weeks, the student will still not be allowed to participate (play or practice) for the followingweek. A student with a D- or F on the report card will have a weekly update of eligibility until the deficiencyis removed and will not be allowed to play or practice until earning a passing grade.Although the second marking period ends before our Christmas break, grades are not formally senthome until after our return to school in January. Thus, all student-athletes with academic deficiencies at thispoint will be ineligible over the Christmas vacation and may resume playing upon return to school in January.Students who qualify for our Project Discover program will be judged on the basis of EFFORT only,for which they must earn at least an APPROPRIATE.66

BehaviorOur discipline policy is cumulative from August through May. Suspension from all extracurricularactivities for issuance of detentions will be handled as follows in accordance with our Discipline Policy:Health1st Detention - cannot play or practice for one week *2nd Detention - cannot play or practice for one week *3rd Detention - cannot play or practice for two weeks*4th Detention - cannot play or practice for the remainder of the school year*Starting on date of issuance.Any child who, for reasons of health, is not present in school for the entire day may not participate inany activity that night. This includes athletic practices and games, school dances, play rehearsal, and evenscouting activities.EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIESIn addition to athletics, the following activities are offered at Saints Peter & Paul:Student Activities1. Altar Servers – Gr. 5-82. Ecology Club – Gr. 6-83. Safety Patrol - 8th grade4. Student Council - Junior High5. Band – Gr. 4-86. Yearbook – 8 th grade7. Science Olympiad - 8th grade8. School Musical - Entire Student Body9. Project Explore – Gr. 6-810. Trojan Tech Team – Gr. 6-811. Math Club – Gr. 7 & 812. Robotics – Gr. 5 - 813. Fine Arts Festival14. Spanish Club – Gr. 6-815. Spanish Ladders – Gr. K-316. Young Rembrandt’s – K-517. Chess ClubSTUDENT COUNCILThe purpose of this organization shall be to provide practice in good citizenship, encouragescholarship, promote school spirit, provide positive leadership to student body, demonstrate practicalapplication of democracy, advance the welfare of the school and its members in every possible way, andserve as the official liaison group between the administrative staff and the Junior High student body.Because of the prestige and impact of this organization, students who are elected to represent theirpeers must conform to the highest of standards.Their constitution contains the following criteria to determine eligibility to run and/or serve.67

Academic: Scholarship must average a C with no grade lower than a D.Conduct: In conjunction with the Student Council constitution, the issuance of a 2nd detention (or theautomatic placement of a student on Step 2 or higher on our discipline system) during the school year willnecessitate that any officer or representative shall be immediately removed from office and become ineligibleto run the following year.Experience: To be an officer, it is preferable, but not mandatory, for a candidate to have prior StudentCouncil experience.BANDBeginning in fourth grade, students who are musically inclined may have those talents developedthrough our band program. Individual lessons will be offered during the school day beginning the first weekof school through the Memorial Day parade. These lessons are offered on Thursday and Friday.Jr. High students take the lessons in lieu of attending music class and they may also have to foregogym class as well. Fourth and fifth graders rotate to different periods weekly so they will only miss thesame class once every seven weeks. A schedule will be provided for each band member at the beginning ofeach semester.The cadet band will practice after school on Tuesdays from 2:20 – 3:05 while our concert bandpractice on Thursdays, also from 2:15 to 3:05. The jazz band will begin in mid-October and go from 3:15 –3:50.In addition to performing concerts for the student body and parents in the winter and spring, ourband also represents our school in the Naperville Memorial Day Parade and competes in the local SoloEnsemble and Band Festival. Fifth graders have the opportunity to join the Catholic School Area HonorsBand.Membership in the Band Parents Association, an organization of parents working to enhance ourband program, is open to all parents whose children are involved in our band program.EDUCATIONAL FIELD TRIPSField trips can be a valuable educational tool. They are scheduled to correlate to the curriculum andare not just someplace to go or something to do.Class trips are activities designed to broaden or reinforce the children's exposure to variouseducational, historical, social, or cultural events. In addition to our various one day field trips, our SchoolBoard has also authorized our seventh graders to have an outdoor educational Science experience at CampTimberlee in East Troy, Wisconsin. Also, should 60% of the seventh grade parents approve, their childrenwill visit Washington D C when in eighth grade.Each grade will be allowed one field trip (at any time of the year except the final week of May) andone faith experience. Students who disregard school rules to the point of receiving 3 detentions during theyear will not be allowed to participate in any educational field trips, their class faith experience, or Founder’sDay.68

PhilosophyATHLETICSThe philosophy of our interscholastic athletic program is based on the strong belief that athletics areeducationally sound and that they play an important part in the development of the participant's physical,mental, emotional and moral growth. Though the element of competition and winning exists, it should notbe the sole determining factor in developing the scope and nature of the Athletic Association's programs. Webelieve that this is educationally sound for it offers training for living in a competitive society. We are pleasedthat all of our student-athletes who desire to participate in sports are afforded that opportunity as ourathletic department sponsors "A" and "B" teams in volleyball and basketball. The basic principles of goodsportsmanship and high ethical standards should prevail at all times in order to enhance the moral growth ofthe student participants.Our Athletic Association is always looking to improve the experience of our student-athletes. Theyinstalled a Fitness Center in 2007 and completed a five year agreement with Positive Coaching Alliance tohelp ensure that our players, coaches, and fans kept sports in the proper perspective. This year our AthleticAssociation has partnered with Sports Performance to provide our volleyball players with better coaching.Athletic AssociationOur athletic program is administered by the Athletic Association. This group of hard working anddedicated parents works directly with our athletic director, Mr. Mike Chiarito. To ensure that athletics is keptin the proper focus, Mrs. Jane Moylan represents the administration at all meetings.The primary function of the Athletic Association is to help coordinate and fund all interscholastic andintramural athletic programs. They regularly meet at 7 PM on the first Monday of each month in the MinistryCenter’s Council Room.This year’s Association membership includes:President – Bill TakahashiVice-President – Bruce GuaySecretary – Tom AntonelliTreasurer – Trista BordignonDon Brumfield Kurt Kauper Terry MoranJustin Busche Jana Kubacki Kirk PotucekMichael Enright Shawn Lapean Mike PullenKelly Flynn Mark McAndrew Regan RybarczykJim Katsafanas Tom Melgoza Christine SchromLiz ZurekDiocesan policy requires all student-athletes to have a physical prior to trying out orpracticing with their teams. As the state of Illinois requires a physical for all incoming sixth gradersin 2012-13, this basically applies to students in fifth, seventh, and eighth grade. These physicals areto be returned to the school office by July 15.The athletic fee for the 2012-13 school year will be $85 per child, $125 per family to coverall sports. The registration form and fee must be paid in order for a child to participate in the sportsprogram.69

1. Fall ActivitiesCross Country - 5 th , 6 th , 7 th , 8 thTackle Football - 5 th , 6 th , 7 th , 8 thGirls’ Volleyball - 5 th , 6 th , 7 th , 8 thBoys’ Volleyball - 5 th , 6 th , 7 th , 8 th2. Fall/WinterCheerleading - 5 th , 6 th , 7 th , 8 th3. Winter ActivitiesBoys’ Basketball - 5 th , 6 th , 7 th , 8 thGirls’ Basketball - 5 th , 6 th , 7 th , 8 th4. Spring ActivitiesBoys’ & Girls’ Track & Field – 5 th , 6 th , 7 th , 8 thIntramural Basketball – 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 thIntramural Volleyball – 3 rd , 4 thIn partnership with the Positive Coaching Alliance, our philosophy is to sponsor a quality programwhich recognizes the concept of the student/athlete, values student participation, teaches fundamentals,emphasizes good sportsmanship, and stresses teamwork. We strive to be competitive without makingwinning the ultimate goal. To help maintain such high standards, the Athletic Association seeks parents,parishioners, and alumni to coach who understand these concepts. The school requires all participants be“student-athletes” and maintain both their grades and conduct in order to participate. At the conclusion ofeach season, the Athletic Committee offers parents the opportunity to anonymously evaluate both theprogram and coaches.INTRAMURALSAt the conclusion of the interscholastic basketball season in mid or late March, our AthleticCommittee sponsors an intramural basketball program for all boys and girls in grades 1-4. It is designed tobe instructional and not competitive. The program runs four to six weeks and includes practices andsimulated games.In May, the Athletic Association also sponsors an intramural volleyball league for boys and girlsenrolled in third and fourth grade.70

FACULTY & STAFF MEMBERSA complete listing of our faculty and staff, as well as the grade level and subject matter for whichthey will be responsible can be found by going to our web page.TENTATIVE 2012-13 CALENDARA detailed month by month listing of important school events can be found on our website.* Please check the monthly principal’s newsletter as well as THIS WEEK AT SSPP on our web page forthe most accurate and updated calendar information.71